Knights of the Cosmere
by CosmereLover
Summary: I know this says SA and MB, but it's pretty much the whole cosmere. This is a story, set in roleplaying format, written by Tesh, Sami, King Cole, Serce Forts, S4S, Contessa, Phoenix, Cel, Megasif, Carola, Shadowmancer, Firerust, Jay, Quickbronze, Vashakh, WIM, Nohadon, SD, Mistspren, AonEne, Apollyon, Inklingspren, and Mraize. This will be published as it is edited by Ene.
1. Chapter 1

**Tesh** : "Hello everyone! Someone whack that spider that's on Celia with Words of Radiance so we can start this meeting."

 **Sami** : Sam whacks Celia. "So what is this meeting about?"

 **Tesh** : "Thanks Kazan. Well, it's time for me to tell everyone everything. For example. Why I started this group in the first place."

 **Sami** : "Great idea!"

 **Megasif** : Zephyras walked in a bit late. There was chaos everywhere. Spider on Celia. One person about to whack her with a thick tome with the initials WOR. _What in the world is going on!? I'll come back when everything has calmed down_ , he thought to himself. He walked back out and became one with the shadows.

 **Sami** : Era zipped around the room and crashed into Tesh's spren. Jerking around, Sam saw Zephyras disappear out the door. She groaned submissively and resigned herself to a confusing afternoon, putting down Words of Radiance to go change into her trousers and boots, just in case someone started doing something drastic.

 **Cole** : Cole walks into the room and views the chaos unfold. With a shrug, he pulls up a chair and pulls out a book...waiting for the real things to happen.

 **Sami** : Sam resists the urge to whack Tesh on the head instead. "Tesh, wake up! We need to get this meeting started!" She wonders where the others are. "Well, even though not everyone is here, shall we commence?"

 **Carola** : Carola walks in, and freezes in the doorway for a moment before asking, "What the storms is going on here?"

 **Sami:** Sam take one glance at the room. Cole is reading _Etiquette and Espionage_. Megasif is one with the shadows. Tesh is fast asleep in her chair, and Era is zipping around the room in a frenzy.

She sighs. _So much for the meeting. I'm going to go see if I can find Zahel._ Because Carola is standing frozen in the doorway, she hops out the window instead.

 **Carola:** "So, this is supposed to be a meeting right?" Carola asks, unfreezing and entering the room.

 **Cole:** "Supposedly," Cole answers, not bothering to look up from his book.

 **Tesh:** "Yes it is," Tesh sighs, waking up with a start upon the news that Cole is reading Etiquette, Espionage, and Knitting. Tesh then proceeds to reach into a bag at the side of her chair, grab a huge book and a vial. She takes the vial and uncorks is downing the contents in one swallow. Unconsciously she puts the vial back in her bag and opens her book about halfway through and starts reading.

 **Carola:** Carola sits down and begins doodling a few Aons in the air. "So what are we meeting about again?"

 **Sami:** Zahel is nowhere to be found. Sam returns and seeing everyone else reading a book, sits down on the window ledge and promptly falls asleep

 **Tesh:** Tesh promptly snaps her book shut, gently places it on the floor and stands up.

"I have some very important news. As you can see, Celia left shortly after being whacked with Words of Radiance. Amaram has found her. But earlier she gave me some vital information. There is a traitor among us."

 **Cole:** Cole gives a sigh. "Well, I knew I would be figured out eventually." With a flourish of speed Cole blurs over to Tesh, burns nicrosil, and taps Tesh. Before anyone can react coins fly towards the spheres on the wall, shattering them and flooding the room with darkness. Whenever someone thinks to pull out a sphere they see Tesh on the ground, stabbed by a blade with a sickly green tint. Black tendrils are stretching across Tesh's body.

And worst of all, Cole is nowhere to be seen...

 **Sami:** Sam immediately sucks in Stormlight and summons her Shardblade, gesturing frantically for someone with a healing Surge to heal Tesh.

 **Tesh:** Tesh lets out a moan that sounds like 'Blargey.' Everyone starts calling like a herd of turkeys for Carola, who had passed out at the news of Cole being a traitor. After all, the air is thinner at Urithiru.

 **Sami:** _Well_ , Sam thinks, _at least Cole doesn't know anything important. Tesh hasn't told us yet._

Sam jumps out the window, sees Cole disappearing in the distance, and so pulling out her dagger she Lashes herself in his direction, hurtling towards him. She takes a moment to appreciate the fact that she changed out of that storming havah.

 **Carola:** Carola slowly wakes up and sees Tesh lying on the floor. She rushes over and does some fancy Aon work while everything else is in chaos.

 **Cole:** Cole sees Sam and then readies a strange sword in combat stance. His jacket suddenly straightens up. Suddenly he blurs at Sam and and a barrage of coins fly out.

 **Carola:** Carola stands up and says in a relieved voice, "She will live. But she will have to stay in bed for a week or two."

Tesh suddenly sits up, stares at Cole and Sami, and promptly collapses to the floor.

 **Sami:** Sam goes to push them back, but then realizes she doesn't have any metal in her. She dives to avoid them, and downs a couple of vials on her way towards Cole.

 **Cole:** Before the metal goes down her throat Cole gives a powerful Pull on all the metals on Sami's body.

 **Sami:** Sam's bracelet pops off and her bag of coins bursts. She swallows and Pushes them down in order to keep her balance against Cole's pull. Luckily, the metals from the vial were in her mouth before he Pulled.

 **Carola:** Carola pulls Tesh into sitting position against the wall, then dives at Cole, Shardblade suddenly in hand.

 **Cole:** Cole now taps speed, strength, health, fortune, and determination. He begins to Riot Sam's sense of fear and Soothe away all other emotions. Then he swings his oddly colored blade at Sam.

 **Sami:** Sam feels her anger melt away and fear begin to mount up. She struggles fiercely against it, but only has the presence of mind to duck and falls unconscious at his feet. Her last thought is that someone had drugged her.

 **Cole:** Cole gives a duralumin propelled jump off of Urithiru and down the cliff face.

 **S4S:** I emerge from the shadows in which I hid watching the scene unfold. I breathe in Stormlight from a colorless pouch under my cloak, then kneeling before Tesh sitting against the wall delirious. I breath out Stormlight as it circles Tesh surrounding her. Suddenly, she snaps back into conscience.

"I told you. I never trusted Cole..." I hiss.

 **Carola:** "So what are we going to do about him, Tesh? I am not much of a fighter, since the majority of my powers lay in illusions and such, but I still can fight. We already have people going after him, right?"

 **S4S:** Rising to my feet, I help Tesh up to hers. Then I look to Carola.

"If you wish to kill this man, then you are on your own... I'm sorry."

 **Contessa:** Contessa pops in with her usual casual manner, then stops short when she sees the group's expressions. "Uh...bad time?"

 **Sami:** Samar groans reflexively and opens her eyes. She frowns. _What just happened?_ She jumps back into the room via the window and sees everyone looking confused, Contessa this time standing frozen in the doorway. Seeing Tesh's weak state, she groans again, recalling Cole's easy disposal of her. The two other trained fighters are out - Tesh out of action, and Zephyrus still one with the shadows. Mathis is refusing to help. She glances at Carola and Contessa.

Even though she has no wish to kill this Cole, having been a good friend of his in the past, she definitely wants to see him brought in. They needed a plan.

 **Contessa:** "I'll admit, I've got a few tricks up my glove when it comes to fighting," Contessa said, raising an eyebrow and leaning against the doorframe. "But I still don't quite get what's going on... Why are you all talking about killing Cole? I thought he was with us. Also, no need for such a dramatic entrance, Samar," she added with a smirk.

 **Sami:** "What dramatic entrance!" Sam snaps back. She is feeling out of sorts. "I simply jumped in the window because you were blocking the door. What's so dramatic about that? Also I'm not quite sure if you noticed but Cole just stabbed Tesh in the chest..."

 **Carola:** "Yes. Tesh has been stabbed. So, what will we do? If we are going to kill Cole we need a plan, and if not, then we need to know what to do instead," Carola says, "as always I am willing to do anything, but I do need to know what direction I am supposed to go in first."

 **Sami:** "We're not going to kill him!" Sam yells, her temper ended because nothing is going nowhere and she has a raging headache. "But right now for all we know he's sitting on a chasmfiend having a peaceful cup of tea with the Nightwatcher herself!" Right now the one thing she wants to do is wipe the smirk off Contessa's face and pass out on the floor.

 **Carola:** "Well, if we shouldn't take the immediate action of killing him, perhaps we should formulate some other kind of plan? Of should we just get to why we came in the first place?"

 **Sami:** "I have no idea what this meeting was about. Tesh was orchestrating it."

 **Tesh:** Tesh groans and says, "Sorry. It is NOT fun being stabbed. But I say we find Cole and try to capture him, and try to avoid killing him, if possible, and try to find his motivator for doing this." Tesh slowly walks over to her former chair and sits down rather quickly. She then proceeds to grab her bag, and while holding it on her lap draws out another vial and her book. She puts the vial back in the bag after downing it's contents.

Slowly leaning forward and putting her elbows on her book, clasping her hands in front of her she says, "Next time I will be a better help. I swear it on the Almighty. I know that I should have been on guard, with knowing that we had a traitor in our midsts, but what's done is done. I say let's send a few of our members out to find Cole. Anyone willing to volunteer? But about the meeting, there were two major points we needed to discuss. 1. The traitor. 2. How we are going to deal with him."

 **Contessa:** Contessa sighs and starts fiddling with a small Lightwoven figurine of Samar, first making her nose unproportionately large, then having her hair stick up. She hides her smirk at Samar's clenched teeth before saying, "Well, the only reason I came to this meeting in the first place was to tell you all that I'll be gone for a few days. Apparently something big is happening with the Ghostbloods, something I need to be around to stop. Hopefully, I'll be back in a few days to check in here, but don't count on it. Good luck with Cole. Try not to kill him."

With that, she turns and leaves, her image of Samar dissolving into a puff of Stormlight.

 **Carola:** "As I said before I would be willing to go after Cole. All we need is the plan. I have never had to kidnap anyone before, but with good cause, I can learn quickly."

 **S4S:** I move towards the nearest doorway, silently watching Tesh rifling through her bag and Contessa mess with her Lightwoven figurine. No emotion. No words. Silence and shadows as one.

 **Sami:** Samar stands up. "I'll go with Carola."

 **Carola:** Carola nods at Samar, then turns to the rest of the group, "Anyone else willing to help? It may take more than us two to take him down."

 **S4S:** I shake my head. "I cannot help you..." I say as I turn to leave.

 **Carola:** "That is fine," Carola says, nodding respectfully. "This is not a job for everyone."

 **S4S:** "I've seen what tyrants like him can do," I whisper. "He cannot be beaten..."

 **Sami:** "I think Mathis has taken a blow in the head," Samar says, rolling her eyes. "Going crazy isn't going to help anything. Carola we should probably get ready…"

 **S4S:** "I lost my mind years ago, Samar," I say.

 **Tesh:** "Well, of course I am willing to come."

 **Sami:** Samar looks at Tesh in concern. "Shouldn't you rest for a bit after being stabbed? I seem to recall Carola telling to stay in bed the next couple of days."

 **Tesh:** "I'm fine. Thank the Almighty for pewter."

 **S4S:** I huff. I then proceed to walk out the door without another word.

 **Tesh:** Tesh runs down the hall after Mathis yelling, "Mathis! What'd I say? Come back! We need you!"

 **S4S:** Without looking back, I steel-dash from Urithiru, teeth clenched and scowling.

 **Sami:** "Great. Two of our members gone psycho, one of them still stuck in the shadows, one of them gone to do whatever it was she did with the Ghostbloods, and one of them recently stabbed. Not to mention my raging headache. And I'm not even going to ask where Zennix is. Maybe I've gone psychotic."

"I'm going to bed." I say, heading out the door and my mind threatening to explode. "I'll be up in a couple hours ready to go."

 **Tesh:** "I should probably do the same."

 **Carola:** "I will follow suit. Rest seems like a good option before we go out hunting Cole."

 **Sami:** Sam opens her eyes. Her headache is gone, and sun has yet to show. She rises and throws together a pack, stocks up on vials, and straps her glass daggers around her forearms and thigh. Hesitating, she glances at her pouch of spheres. They wouldn't last the length of the journey they were about to make. She could still move with Steelpushing but she wasn't sure how Carola was going to keep up with her and Tesh.

Tugging on her boots, she steps into the hall. No one appears to be up. They needed to make plans. Did they even know where they were going?

 **Carola:** Carola is sitting in her bed, drawing. She hopes to finish this piece before they leave, because it may be necessary or at least helpful for catching Cole. She takes a small break to dress and pack, but sits back on her bed to continue.

 **Tesh:** Tesh slowly wakes up, but before she can sit up, she realizes that Celia is leaning over her, only three inches from her face. Abruptly Tesh kicks Celia in the stomach.

"What are you doing?" Tesh asked, realizing who it was.

"You said I could come with you."

Tesh groans and then remembers her conversation with Celia before she went to bed. "Fine. Fine! Go wait outside of my room." Celia walks out and Tesh proceeds to get dressed and pack. She grabs a change of clothes, a sleeping pad, some food, a few blankets, all of her metals, spheres, and a bag of coins from when she visited Scadrial. Also, a single book. But then she straps a pair of obsidian daggers around her waist, and grabs a spear with an obsidian tip.

As Tesh begins to pull on her boots, Celia walks in. "Celia, could you go find Carola and tell her to meet us on the roof?"

"Fine," Celia grumbles and walks back out of the room. Tesh stands up and follows Celia out of the room to find Samar, Mathis, Zephyrus, Zennix, and Contessa.

 **Carola:** Carola is already standing on the roof, attempting to fit her sketchbook onto her bag. "It is about time you guys got here. Are you guys ready?"

 **Contessa:** At first glance, Contessa seems full of her usual nonchalance. But she jumps when Tesh and Celia walk out into the hall, and almost continuously glances around herself as the groups walks up to the roof.

"I might have to leave again soon," she says, rapidly tapping her leg with her rather sparingly clad safehand. "The Ghostbloods are closer than I thought, and they seem to have their sights set on someone...Anyway, try not to rely on me too much." Her usual crooked smile returns slightly as she says, "But that's a given."

 **Carola:** Carola nods. "Help as much as you can Contessa, but know that we will be understanding if you must leave. I am sure most if not all of us have other things we will need to attend to at some point." Finally fitting her sketchbook all the way into her bag, Carola sits down, waiting for everyone to be up.

 **Sami:** "So who are we waiting for again?" Sam asks, walking out onto the roof. "We need to figure out a plan. Do we know where we're going?"

 **Carola:** "Good question. Any ideas?" Carola glances to Tesh and Contessa, then back to Sami.

"So, for transportation I imagine we will be using Lashings? I should probably go change out of my dress. I will be back momentarily." Carola jumps down from the roof and goes inside.

 **Sami:** "But they'll need constant monitoring as they could smash into something not being in control - I'll take Contessa. We'll also need heaps of Stormlight then. Any idea how we're going to carry enough for the four of us?"

 **Tesh:** "I'll get another bag! And I am NOT taking Celia."

 **Carola:** Carola walks back outside and gets back on the roof. "I have some extra space in my bag if needed."

 **Sami:** "...are we taking Celia? Because I'm not carrying her chouta for her if she is... And where are we going?"

 **Serce:** "Hello?" Varaseel asked, peeking up towards the roof. "Oh." After climbing up to them, she patted down her dress and introduced herself.

Everyone quickly explained the problem. "Can you help?"

"I-I'm sorry," Varaseel said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I just barely learned about the cosmere and I can't fight...at all. I'll... _try_ to help. What do you want me to do?"

 **Tesh:** "Well, first we need to find Cole. That's the main problem. And about you not being able to fight, I could train you with a spear, dueling cane, sword, bow. Or I could just teach you some basic defense moves with a dagger, if you would like."

 **Serce:** "Er, sure." Varaseel tried and failed to sound polite. "But isn't it sort of late and aren't we heading out now?" She barely refrained from yelling at Tesh, "WHAT?! Do I _look_ like I could learn to fight?"

 **Tesh:** "Yes, it is, but if we have any spare time, I could teach you the basics of any of those. I spent a lot of time training. Any spare time that I had - I have always had a lot - I would either spend reading, or training. Do you have a Shardblade?"

 **Serce:** "No."

 **Sami:** Sam, seeing Varaseel's growing discomfort, quickly steps in. "If you wouldn't like to come, you're welcome to stay. We need someone to hold the base anyways, but it would be great to have you along as well and if you don't want to fight you can stay at an inn when we find him..."

 **Carola:** "Yeah," Carola says, turning to Varaseel, "you don't have to come, and if you do, you won't be in danger for a long time, because all we are really doing at the moment is tracking him." She glances out at the rising sun. "Then you could decide whether you wish to stay or leave."

 **Cel:** "Hey guys!" Celia pops up.

 **Carola:** Carola turns in surprise. "Oh, hi Celia..."

 **Cel** : "I am surprised none of you Windrunners wanted the pleasure of carrying me there. Also, I have a feeling that I might know where Cole is hiding out...It's where I would go if I were doing something evil - which I obviously have never done. A good place to hide out is the slums in Kholinar. Especially with all of the rioting going on there right now. Too bad about Pai, she was a friend of mine, at least until she joined the ardents."

 **Tesh:** "CELIA! Why did you not tell us this before!"

 **Serce:** "It's a good place to start," Varaseel nods. Then, addressing Carola and Sami she says, "It would probably be best if I stay behind." _It would be a disaster if I went along_ , she thinks.

 **Tesh:** "You couldn't be any worse. Celia is coming."

 **Serce:** "I'll go," she decided, "but be warned." Varaseel shook her head in confusion. She walked to the side and quietly talked to Fluxation, trying to hide him from the others.

"They seem to want you," he said starting to make his thoughtful purring sound. "If something were to go wrong it'd be their fault. Right?"

"Flux! That's a horrible thing to say!" she hissed. Then Varaseel paused. "I can't tell anymore if you're trying to cheer me up or you're sincerely asking."

"You're humor is so enjoyable! And watching your mind twisting!" Varaseel rolled her eyes and Fluxation went back to his normal hideout. She turned back and rejoined the others.

 **Cel:** "My main purpose in life us to drive Tesh crazy. Oh, and to save the world occasionally. So, are we going or not? Also, who's gonna carry me?"

 **Tesh:** "Definitely not me. I'll take Varaseel."

 **Carola:** "Who is willing to take me?" Carola asked, hands on hips. "I can hardly run the whole thing."

 **Sami:** "Well, I assumed that Tesh would take you, but I guess I could manage both you and Contessa at once. I am most definitely NOT taking Celia as well though."

 **Serce:** "What's everyone's problem with Celia?" Varaseel raised an eyebrow.

 **Sami:** "Nothing, just can't take three people at once. Also, Tesh and Celia seem to have a problem over... rocks? And chouta?"

 **Tesh:** "And the fact that I have saved her life about seven times in the past month alone, and all she does to thank me is to get stuck in prison! Again! That's where she ran off to, by the way. And yes, Celia has stolen my chouta about three times now! It's usually Lift who does that! Yes, I know Lift, and that's a very long story so please don't ask."

 **Sami:** "Well, since Celia is very conveniently not here again, you can take Varaseel, and I'll take Contessa and Carola."

 **Tesh:** "Of course I'll take Varaseel! And sorry about the repeated question, but would you like me to teach you the basics of any of the weapons I listed earlier? Trust me, you'll need it. And if you have a Shardblade, you'll want to know how to use it. Well, not a sword if you don't want to, but it can turn into any weapon!"

 **Serce:** Varaseel sighed. "Yes. Whatever you think will be most useful. And I...do have a Shardblade, but I don't like to tell others or well... _use_ it. I guess when nothing makes sense you have to do things you don't want to."

 **Sami:** "Errrrrr... Tesh?"

 **Tesh:** Tesh smiled at Varaseel, a kind, knowing type of smile, "I'll start with some basic knife defense. Once we stop for the night, of course. And trust me, we won't have you stabbing people for us yet."

Tesh sees Samar's look and says, "I'm going to try. She will need to at least know some basic defense if she is going to come, and we need as many people as we can get."

 **Sami:** "Actually," Sam says, "I think it would be a bit more useful if she could practice using her Lightweaving skills defensively. Carola might be able to help her with that, and it would probably be more beneficial to her than learning a night's worth of self-defense. But it's all up to Varaseel, of course."

 **Serce:** Varaseel tried not to look relieved. _I can do Lightweaving_ , she thought.

 **Sami:** Sam grinned at Varaseel. "Now," she said, "Shall we get a move on?"

 **Carola:** "Let's go. We don't have a lot of time."

 **Tesh:** "Okay. Wait, is anyone else a worldhopper here? 'Cause we can also sort of teleport around the planet we are on. Well, is there anyone who doesn't want to fall to our destination?"

 **Sami:** "Carola, would you rather hold onto me and let me Lash us together, or let me Lash you separate from me?"

 **Everyone jumps off the top of Urithiru.**

A Note From Ene: I hope you guys enjoy this! I can promise you that as good as it already is, it gets WAAAAAAY better. Some characters don't show up until later, so you won't see all the names mentioned above yet, but you WILL eventually see them!

If you're interested in joining this roleplay and writing your own character(s), come to The 17th Shard! Create an account if you don't have one already and PM Tesh, Sami, Firerust, or AonEne. We'd love to have you, though as we're in the climax of the sequel, you may need to wait a little while before we can add you.

Keep calm and Sanderfan on,

AonEne


	2. ShouldIStartGivingTheseNames Well,WhyNot

It gets better, guys, I promise. My editing also gets better (I missed some obvious stuff at first).

 **Everyone jumps off the top of Urithiru.**

 **Carola:** "Storms, but I love flying. I wish I was a Windrunner," Carola whispers to herself as they fall.

 **Sami:** Samar keeps close to Carola and Contessa, worried they might run out of Stormlight or somehow smash into something. Did the Lashing feed off their own Stormlight?

 **Contessa:** "Thanks for the ride, Samar," Contessa says with an uncomfortable grimace. "I can't say I enjoy the feeling of being completely in someone else's control, but I guess it's all part of the team building or whatever."

 **Tesh:** Tesh and Varaseel land behind the other three. "Sorry I didn't take more people," she said as she jumped up onto a nearby wall and sat down. "But I just got stabbed, and I felt Varaseel needed a smoother ride." With that, she stood up and as she stepped back onto the ground said, "Well, I say we split up into two groups to look for Cole. I'll lead one and Samar, would you mind being in the other?"

 **Carola:** "I am ready for anything, " Carola says, glancing around them. "Who is going with who, and where is each group going?"

 **Tesh:** "I'm fine with whatever," Tesh says.

 **Carola:** "I guess I will go with Samar."

 **Tesh:** "So, does one more person want to go with Samar, or do you two want to stay with me?" Tesh asks.

 **Sami:** "And when we find him?" Sam asks, lines creasing her forehead. "Maybe we should set a place to meet up in case we all get separated or something. You know, like away from here where Cole won't find us? Also, Varaseel, are you coming or should we drop you off at an inn?"

 **Tesh:** "Yes...hmm…"

 **Serce:** Varaseel hesitated, then tried approaching the situation differently.

"Well...I'm not very experienced in this type of thing and won't be very helpful, so I see two options. First, go with one of the groups, but be in the group with three people or second, stay somewhere safer, read some more about the cosmere and the powers Cole has...and start to devise a plan. Number two sounds better to me, but I'm fine with either."

They all blinked at her for a second, and she felt herself shrink back.

 **Carola:** "I think doing some research on his powers behind the scenes is a great idea, Varaseel," Carola said, "but it is all up to you."

 **Serce:** "I'd prefer it, but it depends on everyone else's plans."

 **Sami:** Sam gets up and downs a vial. "Well, Varaseel, where would you like to be dropped off? It's a bit far to Urithiru, so maybe we'll just leave you at an inn. Also a suggestion, if things go wrong meet back up at Urithiru or at Varaseel's inn."

Sam gestures to Carola. "Come on, let's go this way. If we don't find anything within two hours, we'll return here."

 **Tesh:** Tesh and Contessa start to walk off as well, but then Tesh turns around and gestures for Varaseel to come with them. "I'll drop you off at an inn on our way. Come on."

 **Cole:** Cole is suddenly aware of their presence, thanks to bronze Allomancy, and begins to prepare.

 **Sami:** Sam looks at Carola. "If things go wrong, I want you to run and hide wherever you can."

Era senses something. Sam automatically begins reaching for her daggers as she approaches a darkened alley.

 **Cole:** Cole begins tailing Sami.

 **Sami:** Era is hyperventilating about something. Sam suddenly sees a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye and begins to reach out and grab Carola's arm.

 **Tesh:** Tesh and Contessa have dropped Varaseel off at an inn with enough spheres to get her some food and a room if things go wrong. As Tesh and Contessa start walking down the street, Tesh feels a faint tingling on the back of her neck. Something is wrong.

 **Cole:** A barrage of coins suddenly fly toward Carola.

 **Sami:** Sam yelps, flaring steel and pushing them back, simultaneously whipping out her daggers.

 **Tesh:** "Wait." Tesh flings her arm in front of Contessa to stop her from going any farther. "Storms. Something is very, very wrong." As Tesh says the last word, Ani flies up.

"Tesh. Samar and Carola. They're in trouble. Follow me." With that, Ani flies off down an alley, toward the other two members of the team.

"Contessa! Follow me!" Tesh yelled over her shoulder as she started to run down the alley after Ani. As they both sprinted after Ani, Tesh's feeling of unease grew.

 **Sami:** Sam narrows her eyes at him, tense and ready. "You traitor."

 **Cole:** Cole doesn't respond, but instead replicates the feeling of overwhelming terror through Soothing and Rioting.

 **Sami:** Sam clenches her jaw, fighting against the feeling of terror that just swept through her. She launches herself at Cole and aims a kick at his chest.

 **Tesh:** As Tesh and Contessa sprint through crisscrossing alleyways, Tesh whispers, "Hang on, you two. Please. I can't lose anyone else." And with that, Tesh starts running even faster than before, Contessa struggling to keep up behind her.

 **Cole:** Cole calmly puts his hand to his side.

 **Sami:** Sam slams into him and knocks them both into the concrete.

 **Tesh:** All of a sudden, Tesh spots Cole up ahead. Luckily, his back is turned, so she puts her hand to the side and Ani materializes into a sword. Pewter, tin, and copper burning, Tesh quietly advances on Cole from behind, Contessa just a few paces behind her.

 **Cole:** Cole spits a coin onto Sami and pushes her away. Moments later a short Shardblade forms in his hand.

 **Sami:** Sam shoves her daggers into the sheaths and moments later summons her own Shardblade. She shrinks her Shardblade into a dagger and throws it at Cole, aiming for his shoulder.

 **Cole:** Cole ducks to the side just in time.

 **Sami:** Sam growls in her throat. "Why did you betray us, Cole?"

 **Tesh:** As soon as Cole moves aside, Tesh springs forward and, flaring pewter, swings at Cole's other arm.

 **Cole:** Cole matches the blade with his own Shardblade and a pewter burn.

 **Tesh:** "Also, it's kinda obvious why he betrayed us. He wanted more of a challenge than sitting down and reading Etiquette, Espionage, and Knitting," Tesh replies sarcastically.

Then, Tesh does the last thing Cole expects and backs up, dismissing her Shardblade.

 **Sami:** Sam doesn't dare throw anything, for fear of hitting Tesh. Instead she pulls out her daggers and, with the force of a powerful Lashing behind it, slams her feet into Cole. She then tries to pull him into a headlock.

 **Tesh:** She then bows her head and puts her hands behind her back, exposing the back of her neck.

Tesh then brings both hands out from behind her back and flings two handfuls of coins at Cole. Even though she aimed with almost perfection, and almost every single coin hit Cole, it hadn't been too strong of a Push, and several of the coins had hit Sam. Tesh yells in fury as Cole staggers back; the coins, not having been Pushed hard enough to have killed him, were enough to daze him, and Sam backs up and leans against the wall. Tesh charges at Cole, her Shardblade again in her hand, in the form of a long yet thin sword.

 **Sami:** Sam gasps in pain, feeling the coins biting her skin. She drains her spheres of Stormlight and rolls onto her back, but then thinks better of coin Pushing with Tesh fighting Cole. As the pain resides a bit she stands unsteadily, knowing she must help Tesh.

 **S4S:** I walk the chasms of the Shattered Plains. No running. Not here. Too much to see. It's a different life than anything I've known before. I feel at home in the darkness.

I look back behind me. My followers are none. An old habit. No one follows, only the wind is behind me. Why can't it just be us two?

I walk through a stagnant puddle. Lifespren float around the walls. Do they move away when I draw near? I don't know. Almost all of the spren seem to withdraw themselves from my presence. Almost…

I look back once again. I am still alone with the shallow breeze that flows through the chasm. No one but me and the wind. Almost…

"I wonder how the others are doing..." I whisper to the wind…

I continue to walk. I am almost there…

Almost...

 **Cole:** Cole dashes towards Tesh with both blades ready to draw blood.

 **Serce:** Varaseel sat, calmly taking notes, practically unaware of her friends' troubles.

 **Sami:** Sam staggered to her feet and lunged toward Cole's exposed back with her daggers.

 **Cole:** Cole spins around with his Shardblade whirling straight for Sam's shoulder.

 **Sami:** Sam ducks, a sharp pain shooting through her stomach at the sudden movement. She stumbles and falls, but uses the opportunity to pull his feet out from under him.

 **Tesh:** Tesh yells for Carola as she runs over, Shardspear materializing in her hand. She desperately tries to stab Cole, but he continually rolls away at the last second. Finally, she manages to stab him in the arm, the flesh around the spear fuzzing as it pierces his soul. As she pulls the spear back up, the limb turns from a healthy tone to a sickly gray.

 **Carola:** Carola pulls out her sketchbook and flips through the pages, running into somewhere hidden.

Within the next minute, she walks out...And then another one of her walks out behind her, and another one. Soon enough, there are about five different Carolas, all wielding the same Shardblade. On one call, they all start to position themselves around Cole.

 **S4S:** The sound of waves against the shore. A flowing breeze of salty air. An overcast sky hides the moon and the stars. Golden sand now grey in the dead of night. Only around a small fire does its color return.

I stare into the flames. The fire remains silent before a sudden pop and a shower of sparks. Then silence once more.

I look around. I am alone. Just me and the wind. Why can't it be just us two?

Time passes. Ocean waves. Fires cracking. Wind whispering. Slowly, the fire begins to die. Colors disappear in the lack of fuel. Soon I am plunged into darkness. Only the coals that struggle to survive provide their crimson light.

I am alone in the darkness. Just like a child in the mists. Only now I have friends in the wind.

Ocean waves... Silence beyond...

 **Cole:** Cole taps weight and shoots a coin directly at Sami.

 **Sami:** Sam flares metal and Pushes it back, but as Cole has tapped weight she only succeeds in slowing it down a bit before the coin buries itself in her shoulder. She grits her teeth against the pain and, sprinting forward, Lashes Cole upward so that he hurtles into the sky.

 **Contessa:** Contessa sighs, rising. Up to this point, she had been calmly watching the fight from her relaxed position on a pile of discarded canvas sacks. Now, however, she decides that the group might need some help. Besides, Carola had been Lightweaving, so Contessa feels like she ought to as well. She does have a reputation to uphold, after all.

As she watches, however, Cole goes hurtling up into the sky. _Well, so much for that,_ she thinks, plopping back down on her makeshift chair. _Hopefully he come back soon so something exciting can happen._

 **Tesh:** Tesh runs over to Sami, wanting to help, but seeing that the coin is embedded in her flesh, she says a hurried apology and starts...falling?...into the sky after Cole.

 **Sami:** Sam grabs Tesh. "Wait, what exactly are you going to do? We should probably have some type of strategy instead of simply smashing into him from opposite directions and hitting each other."

 **S4S:** The highstorm looms in the east, slowly creeping across the sky like a disease. A slight breeze blows ahead in warning of what is to come. I sit upon the shore overlooking the ocean, back turned from this force of power. It is the calm before the storm. Stars above silent and sure are watching me, the only ones who live to see my crimes. The red scar hangs above like a wound in the sky. The wind brushes my cloak, the only friend that has not left me.

Am I ready?

Thunder rolls in the distance, almost as if in reply to my silent questioning. The highstorm approaches. The wind begins to dance more rapidly.

Memories flood over me as the chasms do during the rain. I grimace in remembrance. This is wrong. Yet right.

The waves behind me begin to rise higher, growing angry at the storm in large poundings of water on the shore.

I rise as the storm approaches. Suddenly I thrust my hand to the side. An Honorblade falls within my grasp. The storm is almost upon me.

Life before death.

The wind howls. I tighten my grip on the Honorblade.

Strength before weakness.

I throw the blade aside.

Journey before destination.

The storm touches land. I break my final bond with the blade.

The highstorm rushes to overtake me. At the last moment, I run. The storm behind. Destiny in front. I run as Fleet once did, racing the storm.

As I run, a single spren appears out of its hiding...

 **Tesh:** Tesh rips her arm out of Sam's grasp, a slightly crazed look in her eye. "Samar. Something is NOT RIGHT. I... I can't... My body won't respond to what I need it to do. I... I'm sorry." With that, Tesh whips out the spear with the obsidian tip, and, with mixed tears of frustration, agony, regret, and horror running down her face, she points the spear at her friend.

Her eyes. That was the only place you could see it. That was where she was fighting the THING that was inside of her, controlling her. But the struggle was in vain. The spear tip was quivering barely a foot from Samar's chest, sometimes moving up, sometimes down, sometimes right, sometimes left.

And only in her eyes could you see it when she gave up. Her face, which had been twisted in agony mere seconds before, took on a cold, smooth look.

"I'm sorry," Tesh whispered, her her light blue eyes calm, but deep inside, there was sorrow. A sorrow deeper then one could imagine for a woman who had been raised as a princess, sorrow, deeper than the deepest ocean, wider, than even the Purelake.

"Tesh. Tesh! What is going on?!" Samar says, barely refraining from yelling. She had been starring in horror, to shocked to move, to speak, till then. "What is wrong with you?! Tesh! Listen to me!"

Tesh's eyes, and the deep ocean of sorrow, stared at her. Then, in a voice that most certainly wasn't her own, said, "I am, and I am not, what you see. I am what you might call a Splinter, and I have taken up residence in your dear friend here. She has put upon more of a struggle than I would have expected, and she still is, but it's mostly beneath the surface. Anyways, I'm here to set things a little more to my liking among your little group. You could be quite influential in the Cosmere you know." And with that, Tesh, or rather the shell of Tesh, stabbed Samar. The spear when through her stomach, and out the other side, narrowly missing the spine. Sam crumpled, and the shell of Teshani Kholin flew into the sky, bloody spear held loosely at her side.

Before she was gone completely from view, Sam heard a faint, strangled cry, in Tesh's own voice saying, "I'm so, so sorry."

 **S4S:** One step. One leap. The pattern I run to now. Each step to the beat of thunder. Each splash of puddle to flash of lightning. Plateaus rushing by in a blur of water-stained rock and blackened chasms.

The highstorm rages behind me. Angry that one can match its rushing winds. It surges forward, roaring as a provoked chasmfiend, seeking my life.

I never had been one to give up.

But I keep running... Why? I am lost. No one found me in time…

...Wait…

In that moment of reflection, a spark inside is struck. From this reflection comes revelation: I am lost. No one found me in time.

Yet... If others are lost, I can find them, for we have tread the same path. I can find them. I can save them. I can.

The spren dances close to my head now.

 **Tesh:** Tesh falls through the sky, wind whipping at her hair, which had come out of the tidy braid. The thing is still inside of her. It can read her thoughts. She must escape it. It is corrupting her, the sadness, expanding. She continually Lashed herself away from the ground, trying anything to rid herself from the thing. But the thing also wanted her to keep Lashing herself in that direction, and it was growing harder to fight. With one surge of willpower, Tesh dismissed all the Lashings and then Lashed herself to the east, where she feels she must go.

 **S4S:** One step. One leap. I run harder than I ever have before. Purpose rushes through my veins. Determination through my muscles. I dash forward, gaining distance between me and the storm.

The wind whips at my face. My cloak snaps in the sudden burst of speed. Feet pounding to the beat of thunder. This is what I was made for.

Soon I am no longer leaping. I pass the Shattered Plains. I begin running over hills and valleys.

I follow the spren. It seems to know where to go...

 **Tesh:** A highstorm looms in the distance. That was where the pulling was coming from. It was stronger then then it had been before. Ani appears beside her, in the form of a tiny woman.

"Tesh, you must fight it." Her face looks pained. "In the highstorm. The Splinter inside of you cannot enter. The storm will clean you. But you will have to go through the stormwall, and stay the duration of the storm for the Splinter to stay away. I fear that it will take up residence in another Knight. This may kill you. But it is the only way."

Tesh nods firmly. Besides, what does she have to live for?

The thing fighting within her, she falls towards the highstorm.

 **S4S:** One step. Two steps. I continue running, hard and swift as the storm behind me.

Suddenly the spren I follow shoots upward like an arrow. I glance quickly thinking it has left me. Then I see her.

"What in Death's name..." Tesh is flying straight for the storm.

Quickly, I dash left toward a large rock outcropping. I have put enough distance between me and the storm that I quickly climb to the top before it overtakes me. No use yelling; the storm roars too loud.

I take one breath. Two steps back, one step, and one leap, into the air straight towards Tesh.

 **Tesh:** Tesh continues falling towards the storm, holding her spear tightly to her, like a lifeline. Then she sees, of all the people in the world, Mathis _coming towards her._

"Mathis! I must enter the storm!" And the stormwall was upon her.

The initial winds slammed into her, knocking the air out of her lungs.

 **S4S:** I see Tesh go into the storm. As if by instinct, I drop a coin and Steelpush in behind her.

 _What am I doing?_

Even with the number of times that I've run with the winds, I wasn't fully ready for the stormwall. Yet I keep pushing on my coin, desperate to find her.

The spren rushes forward toward something tumbling in the air. Tesh.

I tap steel. I know that I'm not going to be able to reach her by falling. So I whip a handful of coins out and push them against a flying boulder tossed up in the storm. I then fly closer to Tesh.

Another rouge boulder flies up into my way. I land on it before sliding across its face, lodging a coin in one of the cracks. I then push off as hard as I could, before crashing into Tesh. I grapple with her, hanging on.

 _"I will not lose another..."_ I whisper to the wind.

 **Tesh:** Tesh dismisses her Lashings, becoming one with the storm, getting hit with boulders and debris. But the thing was gone, and she only had two regrets in life. Ani stayed beside her, giving her courage and hope. The Aon Ati came into her mind.

 _How,_ she thought, _could something that stands for something so wonderful be the name of something so wicked?_

Finally Ani spoke, though how Tesh understood what was being said, she didn't know. _You must find shelter. The storm will kill you, and the Knights need you. Come, follow me; I will take you to safety._ So Tesh Lashed herself after Ani, and though the wind kept blowing her off course, found a small outcropping of rock and took shelter there, to weather out the remainder of the storm.

When Tesh sees something holding on to her, she just rips it off, and crawls farther under the stone, shivering and weeping. Now that the thing had left, there was nothing to hold the sadness away.

 **S4S:** Tesh throws me back into the storm. I curse, struggling to gain my bearings. Only then do I realize that she moved to an outcropping in a cliff face.

 _I will not give up._

I tap steel and run against the storm. Opposite to its rushing winds, I struggle against its force, yet I am able to walk back to the ridge.

With a silent apology, I throw Tesh further into the crevice. Then I smash four coins into the rock at the corners of the opening. Then I push one behind me that snaps next to Tesh's head and one in front directly into the floor.

With all the strength I have left, I push on each of the coins. I am then suspended in the air, arms and legs outstretched, screaming into the wind, blocking as much of the storm as I can. Rocks and debris scratch and rip at my flesh. I stand firm.

 _I will not quit. I will not let others quit._

 **Tesh:** Tesh looks up, staring at Mathis, finally seeing who it is.

"Mathis?" she asks. "What? How? Why?"

Outside, the storm is weakening, the rain's furious pounding lessening slightly.

 **S4S:** I continue to push against my anchors. Tesh says something behind me, yet it is inaudible. The storm seems to be slowing, yet it continues to strike at me, seeking my life.

The spren returns. It looks like a silver ball with flecks of light, almost like a small star.

I laugh, growing more exhausted. Then, it all begins to fade as I slip into unconsciousness, still hanging from my anchors.

 **Tesh:** Tesh crawls over to where Mathis is hanging unconscious, and she grabs his arms and pulls, with the combined effect of Stormlight and pewter. Once she gets him as far back as possible, she takes everything out of her pack, which, through some unknown luck, she still had. Tesh had had it waterproofed mere days before they left. Mathis's wounds were bad, and Tesh had very limited first-aid know-how. She does what she can, and talks quietly to Ani. She then wraps herself in a blanket on her bed roll, and falls asleep, in a desperate attempt to escape the sadness. But it is lurking just beneath the surface, and sleep merely opens the door for it, and it haunted her dreams.

 **Serce:** "Varaseel!" Flux yelled. Her head snapped up from her relaxed position where she had been practicing some Lightweaving. Because of her surprise the orchestra she had created stopped in a sudden sound of dying instruments.

"What?"

"Samar...Tesh?...I - I don't know what happened, but Samar is badly injured and we need to help. Tesh is also in danger, but we can't get to her..."

"Are you sure?" she asked anxiously. She looked around for anything she might be able to take with her, then realized she had only her bag.

"Yes," he said, and spun between patterns faster, showing he was nervous. Fluxation rushed into the street and Varaseel followed, trying not to get nervous herself.

 **S4S:** Soon I wake. A small spark of cold energy flashes me. I know that feeling... The spren floats above my head. It seems urgent.

I sit up, grimacing at the pain. I've had to live with pain such as this before, so I force myself to rise to my feet.

Then I remember what happened. I look to find Tesh sleeping. I sigh of relief flows from bloodied lips before I cough up more. I kneel; my chest straining from the force of pushing on itself. I can feel some of my ribs broken... Again. I hurt all over. I can feel the blood flowing from me like a broken wineskin.

I stare at Tesh. I realize what I had just done. I risked my life for this woman. In her darkest hour I was there. Why?

And then I knew.

I look to the spren, then back to Tesh. I place my hand on her forehead. I close my eyes and whisper…

"I have walked down this path. I will not let others suffer the same fate as me. I will find those that are lost. _I will remember those who have been forgotten._ "

I breathe in Stormlight, yet before it can heal me, I push it into Tesh. A few scrapes and cuts begin to heal. I save the rest. I have dealt with this pain. I must save it for others who cannot.

I rise once more, looking at the spren. It glows brighter, seeming happy. It doesn't speak, but at that moment I name it Spark. It seemed fitting. I can't help but a small smile. I probably look like Death himself with that bloody grin.

One more look back at Tesh. She will be safe here. Then I begin to run. My work is not done yet.

One step. Two steps...

 **Contessa:** Contessa rushes forward, trying to grab Tesh as she falls away. The cloak only just slips out of her grasp, but Contessa knows there's no hope of her catching up to the Windrunner now. Sam needs her.

 **Cole:** Cole grits his teeth at the realization that he had been Lashed up. For all of his power there was nothing he could do to stop gravity. Preparing for the worst, he tapped breath and health.

As soon he left the atmosphere, Cole had thought that the Stormlight pulling him up would have ended long ago, but Samar had put enough Stormlight in her Lashing to escape Roshar. Soon after, the Stormlight faded and Cole began orbiting Roshar.

For a time he lost hope, but then an idea came into his mind. The idea was insane and could end with his death despite his stupendous amounts of stored Feruchemical gold.

Cole waited until he could distinguish Alethkar on the massive planet. Preparing himself for something never done before, he completely filled his iron metalmind.

It was time…

Cole tapped all of his iron based nicrosil storages.

Then...he Pulled.

Cole flew back down towards Roshar, pulled by the metal in the earth. All of his possessions burned up on re-entry. All metalminds on his body were gone. Layers of flesh turned to ash as quickly as they regenerated. Cole was glad that his biggest stores of attributes was deep within his body.

Then he hit.

A crater formed, dozens of feet across. If he hadn't tapped iron then he could have caused stupendous amounts of damage from the force of the impact.

Cole pulled himself out of the crater and gazed around. Luckily no houses were within the range of destruction. It was one thing that didn't need to weigh on his conscience.

With a glance at the landscape he realized that he missed hitting Alethkar. Instead he was closer to the Horneater peaks. That was better, as he had a safe house at the summit of the mountains.

He tapped his steel metalminds and suddenly the land was tranquil again, but the mark of his descent would stay for many years...

 **Serce:** Varaseel chases Fluxation around a corner and sees Samar being attended to by Contessa. She realizes that Contessa is having Sam breathe in Stormlight and quickly kneels by Sam as well.

"I have some infused spheres in my bag." Varaseel pulls them out, then grunts in frustration, realizing that some of them are dull. _There's still plenty though,_ she thinks, and hands them over to Contessa.

 **S4S:** One step. One grimace. I continue running from the hills. Spark is floating in front, guiding the way. So far it has seemed to know where to go.

I still haven't fully healed; Stormlight is in short supply these days. I had checked while running, and my pouch thankfully still shone brightly.

My ribs continue to throb, and my chest continues to feel heavier and heavier. I run harder, hoping to make it to...wherever…

I look up and suddenly I realize I am near Kholinar. Urgently, Spark falls into one of the rifts. I push on a dragon's rim to slow my descent and continue my chase.

A few turns more and Spark suddenly stops. I slow, seeing Samar, Contessa, and another unknown woman. Samar lays still, and I approach quickly, seeing blood around a gut wound. I breathe out the last of my Stormlight to heal her, before collapsing in a bloody heap...

 **Serce:** Varaseel turns to the stranger in confusion. _What? Where? Why? Whatawha?_ the thoughts rush in and she looks back at Samar. She starts to breathe better and her wound closes up. Varaseel turns back to the unconscious man. _Healing_... _so Truthwatcher or Edgedancer...right?_

"Who -"

"Mathis?" Contessa unintentionally answers her.

Varaseel frowns, recognizing the name, and moves closer to this Mathis. She looks down at her depleting infused spheres and sighs, but moves them under his face anyways.

 **S4S:** At first nothing. Then another spark of power. I inhale raggedly as the last bits of Stormlight from spheres within an unknown hand enter me.

Spark flashes near my head, seeming concerned. I slowly rise, arms shaky. I notice my wounds have scabbed over and my chest is not so heavy, yet I still feel sore.

I look to see the three others looking at me in confusion. Yep. I probably looked like Death himself…

"Just who might you be," I ask to the new one while propping on one knee, "and what in Death's name is going on?"

 **Serce:** "I'm Varaseel Demek...I think you left before we met at the Surgefinders meeting and...I have no idea. Sorry," Varaseel says.

 **Contessa:** "Well, Cole stabbed Samar in the chest, and then fell somewhere..." Contessa says, a disinterested look on her face. "I honestly haven't been paying much attention, sorry. But what in the Almighty's tenth name happened to you?"

 **S4S:** I nod to Varaseel, then try to rise. I groan, falling back into the wall nearest me. My head hits with a thud.

"Irrelevant," I say as I lay back, eyes closed. "And Cole?"

 **Tesh:** Tesh slowly wakes up, sore from the previous day's exertion. As she looks around, she realizes Mathis is gone. And the sky outside is blue. Tesh straightens her blankets and bedroll, then walks outside.

As she takes a deep breath of the cool, fresh air, she feels the sadness again. _Will they even want me back after what I have done?_ Tesh asks herself. She feels sick inside, like there was a snake curled up in her stomach, slowly worming its way into her throat. _No,_ she thinks, answering her previous question. Of course they wouldn't. After what she had done, they probably wanted to kill her.

"After I thought I actually had a purpose in life..." she whispers to herself. "And now here I am, alone. Forgotten." She makes her way back under the outcropping, and takes a flint and her book out of the pack. She sets the book and flint down and starts collecting sticks for a fire. Fire made, she sits against her shelter, and opens her book - the one she was reading when everyone discovered that Cole was the traitor. Words of Radiance. She then snaps it closed, stomps out the fire, and walks back under the rock.

 _Life before death._

Tesh rolls up her bedroll and stuffs everything into her pack, except some food. As she did so, the sadness that had been lost for a few minutes among the bustle of activity welled up inside of her, but she brutally shoves it back.

 _Strength before weakness._

Then, full of Stormlight and burning pewter, she took off, west, towards the slums of Kholinar.

 _Journey before destination._

She needed to warn the Knights of the Splinter, even if they refused to accept her back into their ranks.

 _I will protect those who cannot protect themselves._

Thinking of all the Knights in turn was what got her through the run.

Faithful Samar.

Brilliant Carola.

Amazing Contessa.

Zephyrus, among the first knights.

Delightful Zennix.

Poor Varaseel, forced to see, do, and experience things no one should.

Stupid idiotic Celia.

Mathis.

That one keeps her occupied for a while, all the time trying to answer one question. Why? Why had he done what he had?

Then she arrives, the slums looming above her, seeming larger than before. Stopping, the exhaustion of a pewter drag comes crashing over her, so she just forces herself forward, towards where the battle had been.

As Tesh finally stumbles into the square, everyone looks up, shocked to see Tesh's filthy, tearstained form among them again. With that, the world turns black, and all Tesh remembered was a faint thud as she hit the ground.

 **S4S:** I open my eyes at the sudden thud. I look to see Tesh collapsed on the ground. Rushing forward with steel, I lift her off the ground.

"We need to get her inside, along with the rest of us," I say, carrying Tesh. Spark seems to observe her with an inquisitive air.

After walking toward the complex, Tesh is placed inside, resting. Obviously the effects of a pewter drag. After everyone is inside, I walk back out. It is almost night. I drop one coin on the ground and Push myself onto the roof.

Silent in the shadows, I lay back, watching the stars, thinking. That is one of the most dangerous things I can do, to let my mind wander, yet it appears to be the most rewarding as of late. I glance over at Spark.

She, as I remembered her speaking my name in a female accent, seems to be distracted by something. As I continue thinking, soon I begin to grow weary. After some time, exhaustion kicks in, and I slowly drift into dreams…

 **Tesh:** Dreams. Horrible, twisted dreams. Dreams tainted by the sadness. Dreams of the most horrid kind. Those were what haunted Tesh's sleep, at first. But then, Mathis, trying to protect her. And that one-worded question. Why? Then voices.

 **Sami:** Samar opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground, and everyone was staring in shock at Tesh...TESH!

Something flashed red before her eyes, and before anyone could blink, she had the edge of her dagger at Tesh's throat.

 **Carola:** "Samar, no. She is suffering the effects of a pewter drag. Apparently she needs to tell us something very badly. At least wait for her to wake up so she can explain herself," Carola says, walking over.

 **Sami:** "I don't care," Sam growls, putting more pressure on the knife. "She turns on me in the middle of a fight and stabs me in the ribs, and when she comes back you expect me to sit back on my heels and listen to her _explain herself?!_ "

 **Tesh:** Tesh gasps awake, noticing immediately the cold blade of a knife pressed against her neck by her friend. She sighs, saying in a sorrowful tone - nothing more than a whisper - "Samar Kazan. I know what I did, and why. I understand your reasoning for this, and will not blame you if you slit my throat here and now. But if you are willing, hear me out before you make your decision." As she spoke, the sadness again came back, pressing tears to the corners of her eyes. The sadness was even visible to Samar, who was nearly blinded by rage.

 **Contessa:** Contessa tenses, waiting to see what Samar will do. Despite what Tesh said, Contessa isn't planning to sit back and watch one of the Knights kill another.

Tess reaches forward and rests a hand on Samar's shoulder. Sam is staring into Tesh's eyes, and Contessa's breath catches as she sees them. Such sadness. Tess could see it consuming her friend, bit by bit, the sort of sadness that doesn't let you see the truth. It tells you that no one will ever forgive you, that you will never be loved again. Contessa knows that sadness. And she also knows, in that moment, that Tesh never meant to do what she did.

 **Sami:** Sam's eyes soften a little. She knows that Tesh didn't mean to do it, but the knowledge didn't take away the blow that both her friends had betrayed her. Unable to face Tesh with the pain and anger staring out of her eyes, she stands up and without a word, leaves the room. Her muscles are taut and strained, and the dagger in her clenched fist shatters, glass shards cutting into her hand.

A couple of minutes later, her window is shattered and Sam is gone.

 **Cole:** Cole arrives at his safe house and stops tapping speed. The first thing he does is grab some clothes. As he picks up some extra metal vials a sudden realization crosses his mind: "My sword!" He knows it didn't come with him into outer space, so there could only be one place. "I have to go back to Kholinar."

The sword is much too precious to lose, and it is worth the risk of venturing into the midst of all the Knights of the Cosmere. Cole grits his teeth, and taps speed again…

 **Sami:** Sam Lashes herself through the sky, feeling the familiar wind clear her mind and soothe her spirits. Pushing Tesh out of her mind for the time being, she alights in Kholinar, prowling down the near-deserted street and simply enjoys being given space to think.

Until she suddenly sees a blur go by and swipe someone's knitting.

 **Tesh:** Tesh slowly sits up, staring at each of the knights. But she did more than just look at them in the Physical Realm. She stared into their souls, felt their pain at what she had done, their loss at losing Cole again. And simple, honest confusion. She took long, deep breaths and started to speak. "I will understand if you don't forgive me for what I have done. I will understand if you kill me. But I must tell you everything before you make your decision."

After that, she looked at each of the Knights, and they all gave her a single, tight little nod. And the story began, starting with what had come over her when Samar had grabbed her. And ending with her stumbling into the square. "Do you believe me?" she asks into the stunned silence.

 **S4S:** I lean back from the window outside and slide my back against the wall. My ribs ache at the sudden action. I still hadn't fully healed; the others would need my healing more than me.

Tesh was sincere, that was for sure. Someone who had lost everything had nothing left to give but the truth.

"My opinion would count for nothing, after I abandoned them..." I whisper to Spark. She seemed somber, her glow more soft. As if in understanding.

This spren was so different. No words, always quiet and small. Why? But more importantly, why me?

I continue to listen, quiet and still.

 **Tesh:** The others leave to discuss everything in private and Tesh says, "Mathis. I know you are out there."

 **S4S:** "No, I'm not," I yell from outside.

 **Tesh:** "Sure," Tesh smiles.

 **S4S:** I stand up, my side smarting. I go through the door, noticing everyone has left but Tesh. "How are you feeling?"

 **Tesh:** "Alive," Tesh sighs. "And more guilty then ever."

 **S4S:** "Feeling guilt means that you may have done something wrong, but at least you know it. Be glad you aren't blinded by your own pride."

I sit on a nearby chair.

"You cannot blame yourself for something you have no control over. Sure, you stabbed one of your friends. But the next thing to do is make it right..." I look puzzled. Then I laugh.

"Why don't I take my own advice?"

 **Tesh:** Tesh slides out of bed and stretches. "Ahh. Thank the Heralds for pewter and Stormlight. Well, I will go find Samar. Do you know where her room is?"

 **Serce:** Varaseel taps her fingers on her bag. She stops, then starts again. They were supposed to be discussing Tesh, but none of them could.

 _I'm so confused!_ Varaseel wants to yell. She paces around the room, fingering her hair. Teshani had seemed like such an amazing person, she had looked up to her and now...what? What was going on? It didn't seem like Tesh, but she had known her for how long? Less than half a day?

Varaseel stops pacing. "I think I'm going to think about this myself. Sorry." She walks out of the room into the street, still pacing.

"Flux," she whispers in plea to her spren. "Any thoughts?"

 **S4S:** I stand from my chair. "No, I don't know where her room is. But I call the roof. I'll be there if you need me."

I walk out the door. Before I close it, I turn back one final time. "You did something wrong. How far will you go to make it right?"

I close the door. Spark seems to be quite amused at my advice. I raise an eyebrow.

"What?" I ask as I Push to the roof.

 **Tesh:** Tesh smiles sadly, and walks into the hall, looking for Samar. After a while, she finds a room with Samar's bag and a broken window. Tesh sighs and sits on Samar's bed, grabbing the book on the bed stand and starting to read, waiting for Samar to return.

 **Cole:** Cole arrives in Kholinar, donning a disguise. He plans to get in and get out, before the Knights find his blade.

 **Serce:** "Breathe," Fluxation says. Varaseel laughs. Even though she moves her legs, her fingers still tap. Most of it was energy not knowing where to go, but she liked to think that a lot of it was a longing for her instruments. What she would do for a harp. Varaseel starts humming one of her favorite concertos: Perivonkle. Soon her pace slows and she feels calmer.

"Flux," she starts, notes still flowing in the back of her mind. "You warned me about Samar and Teshani. What exactly could you tell?"

"I could tell Samar was injured by Tesh and that Tesh was in some other type of trouble; I sensed...something...the best description would be a sliver of power fighting with her."

Varaseel wanted to rub her forehead in frustration, but stops herself. "I want to trust Tesh and I think - no, I almost certainly know - she's telling the truth, but there's something, something irritating me that shouldn't - it's like cremlings chewing at my brain. What's going on, Flux?"

"We both know joining the Surgefinders was hard for you. You've always liked hiding and being alone and when we joined it was a test of trust. You opened yourself up to them, especially Teshani and she...sort of broke your trust -"

"She didn't really. It wasn't her fault," Varaseel defended.

"Yes, but you still want to put your walls back up and be isolated. You opened up, but now that you're hurt you will want to close even tighter. You can't do that. You _cannot_ do that, Vara!"

"Don't call me that..." she whispers ferociously, almost hissing. "But you're right. Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Fluxation says, more upbeat. He swirls up and down her dress, changing.

"Now that I've had emotional counsel," Varaseel tries to smile, "We should probably address the problem that a Splinter-Shard-cosmere thing tried to take over Teshani. Let's go back to the others."

 **Sami:** Sam jumps to her feet, another wave of rage overwhelming the peace of a couple moments before. She brushes past the bereft knitter and launches herself after the Steelrunner in a futile chase.

 **Tesh:** After about an hour, Tesh determines that Samar won't be coming back soon. So she closes her book, stands up, and walks into the hall, almost immediately running into Varaseel.

"Varaseel!" Tesh says, shocked. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

 **Serce:** "Um..." Varaseel says, startled by Teshani's random appearance. "About to talk to everyone about the Splinter thing that took control of you." Varaseel could feel herself starting to shrink, slipping into her bad habits.

"Stay open," Fluxation whispered. She stands a little straighter and blushes. _I must look crazy,_ she thought inside.

 **Tesh:** "Hi," Tesh says, sounding more than a little relieved. "How are you doing? I mean, after everything that happened yesterday..." Tesh trails off, looking slightly uneasy.

 **Serce:** "I'm good. Just...no - I mean yes - I'm fine. How are you?" Varaseel almost slaps herself.

 **Tesh:** Tesh remains silent, unsure how to answer. "I...I honestly don't know how to answer that one," she says. Looking up and seeing the look on Varaseel's face, how unsure of herself she was, Tesh felt the ocean inside of her widen. Then, feeling more guilty than ever, she says, "I guess I just need someone to talk to, but I doubt anyone even would want to be alone with me, after what I have done."

 **Cole:** Cole hears footsteps behind him. When he looks back he sees Sami in pursuit. _I have to move fast,_ he thinks.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a bag of coins, which he throws down in front of him. When he passes it by five feet he Pushes and hurls forward. A second later the bag of coins flies after him.

The process is repeated until he reaches Kholinar.

 **Sami:** Sam, in hot pursuit of Cole, Pulls hard on the coins that he is about to Pull. Because he is not expecting it and has not tapped weight, the coins fly out from under him towards Sam and he stumbles. Sam flings the coins after him with all her strength.

 **Cole:** Cole prepares himself for hand to hand combat. Knowing a Shardblade will be useless in close range, he readies his fists. Cole jumps at Sami, waiting for her to strike with her Shardblade.

 **Sami:** Sam dodges, but pauses, Shardblade appearing in her hand. "So I'm asking you again, why are you doing this?"

 **S4S:** I watch Spark float next to me. Although the spren has no physical expressions, she seems to be distracted by something. I still haven't heard her say anything since the highstorm. I don't mind; silence is very fragile. One action and it can be broken.

I lay back, watching the sky above. Recalling the words that Tesh had said earlier, I begin to wonder what I was thinking.

First just throwing myself at her in the highstorm? Goodness, that must have been one of the most absurd moments in my life, and probably hers too. Then protecting her in the storm by hanging myself? And to end it by giving her life advice that even I don't follow? What is happening to me?

I then wonder if that is what Tesh is feeling. What is happening to me? Even I don't know what is going on. A book with mixed up pages.

But this story will end for the better. Even if I don't make it to the end, I will make sure everyone else does. I made that vow to Spark. And to myself.

I laugh. Where is all this psychology coming from? I should sell my advice. I laugh again. But storms... Does it feel good too laugh. I must be insane. In a world like mine, I still laugh…

Suddenly Spark seems to come to. She snaps upward, dashing back and forth. Something is wrong.

I sit up, then slide from the roof and grab onto the lip of it. Spark floats down slowly before quickly dashing through a window. Another look I then notice that it has been shattered. Must have happened when I was speaking with Tesh…

I begin to shuffle across the roof edge. Warming up my muscles helps to remove the feeling of stiffness and fatigue.

When I reach the window, I swing once before throwing myself through the opening. Feels good to be moving like this again. Only mild pain. I look up and notice the room is empty. Spark floats around for a second, seeming unsure about something. I wait for a moment, silent.

Voices. Outside the door. In perfect unison, Spark and I move to the door. I recognize Tesh's first. The second one. The new knight? Varaseel? Yeah, that's her. I open the door into the hallway. "Something's wrong."

 **Serce:** "Tesh," Varaseel says, unsure of how to respond to her heartbreak. "I think everything's going to be okay." She starts squeezing Tesh's hands without knowing it. She realizes it quickly and drops them immediately, confused at her hurt, her want to comfort, her spren's advice...She wants to hug and cry with Tesh, but she also wants to be alone and wallow in her misery.

"S-sorry. I should probably-"

Mathis appears out of nowhere. "Something's wrong."

"Flux?" she quietly prompts her spren.

"Hmmm...something...I can't tell."

"What is it?" she inquires Mathis.

 **Tesh:** Tesh stares at Mathis.

"Tesh," Ani says, worry and warning filling her voice as she floats down from her perch on a beam above. "I feel the danger as well. But something else has happened as well, something only you and I know about. I know you know what it is. And where you need to go."

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no!" Tesh cries, her voice increasing in volume.

"Tesh, I'm sorry, but you have to go back!"

"I can't! Ani, you know what happened there! I died that day!"

Everyone stares at Tesh, panic filling her eyes.

 **S4S:** "Call it instinct," I reply to Varaseel. I still don't know what to think of her. But if Tesh trusts her, that's good enough for now.

Then, at Tesh's sudden outburst, I go still. Voice even, I ask, "Go back where, Tesh?"

 **Tesh:** "Tesh," Ani whispers. "They deserve to know. Tell them. And calm down, relax, that happened five years ago!"

"I... Oh, I guess I should tell you all," Tesh says, taking a shuddering breath.

 **S4S:** I grab Tesh's shoulder. She's almost shaking.

"Don't open wounds if they have already healed," I whisper, "but understand that sometimes the only way to fully heal a wound is to open it. It is painful, trust me on that. But you have others around you to help."

I frown. Where did that come from? I look at Spark. She just sits there, calm. I look back at Tesh. At the moment, this takes full priority.

 **Tesh:** Tesh takes a deep breath, sits down on the floor, and begins her story.

 **Serce:** Varaseel sits down on the floor next to Tesh.

 **S4S:** I remain standing. Sitting takes too long to react to an attacker, yet I remain silent.

 **Tesh:** "My biological parents are, or were, rich lighteyes. They are, or were, traveling merchants. I had three siblings. There was Rodolphus, the oldest, Sazin, the youngest, and Mahshi. My twin brother. Rodolphus, we always called him Rod, was my parents' favorite. He might still be, for all I know. He might even be dead, or across the world from them. I have no idea. Then Sazin. She was two years younger than me, while Rod was three older. But she was the sweetest thing that ever walked on this world. She loved everyone she met, and everyone loved her.

And then there was Mahshi. We were best friends. Inseparable. Then my parents started to grow unbearable. My father, mostly. He didn't have any workers, other than us. So we loaded, unloaded, and loaded the wagon, time after time. Mahshi and I were six when he put us to work. Of course, Sazin tried to help, but Mother stopped her. Just as she convinced Father to buy some slaves to take over the work.

So, she raised me and Sazin to become proper Vorin ladies. Or she tried. Father taught Rod and Mahshi his trade, Mahshi never listening, Rod always wanting to learn more. Mother eventually just gave up on me and Sazin. I would always sneak off to go riding, and Sazin would just do as Mahshi did. So, Rod learned the trade, and by the time I was eight, I needed to leave my mother, father, and Rod behind. They all were great people, but none if them understood Sazin, Mahshi or me. Especially not me.

So, one morning, when we were at some city, I can't remember which, I just know it's very important, Sazin, Mahshi and I ran away. We lived rough, and for six months, we lived on the streets. Six months, avoiding society, surviving together. They were the best months of my life. We were together, and we could be ourselves. It was hard, but we were more than happy.

One day, we received news, from a friend, that our parents and Rod had left, after searching for us, all those months. We weren't upset at all. And later that day, it all started. We found that friend, dead in an ally. He was hardly ten, but he'd had a sphere. Sazin, who was only six, was sobbing, and Mahshi and I were dazed, as he had been our only ally. We wandered around, and somehow, stumbled upon the main street, a place we had tried to avoid for so long. A sort of procession was going on, so we pushed our way to the front of the crowd.

As we watched, Mahshi put Sazin down. And she stepped on some rich lighteyes' foot. He shoved us, right into the middle of the street. Right in front of none other than Dalinar Kholin. He wasn't in his Shardplate, but he was an imposing figure anyways.

He was riding a horse, not Gallant, just a normal horse. He stopped the procession just by raising his hand. A soldier stepped forward to grab us, but Dalinar motioned for him to stand down. The street was deathly silent. Except for Sazin's sobs. We may have been living on the streets for months, but we were still lighteyes. He told the soldier to fetch one of his scribes, and four them to bring them to the palace. I think he was visiting another highprince.

The procession continued forward, and we followed a tall, thin scribe and the soldier to the palace, to afraid to do anything but follow. Mahshi was carrying Sazin again. She asked us a few questions, and we answered, as truthfully as possible. When we got to the palace, they treated us like royalty. I have no idea why. We stayed there for a long while, and they searched for our parents. I was nine then, and longing to be outside again. I didn't voice my wish, however.

Finally, Dalinar was going to leave. We were asked if we wanted to stay, or go with Dalinar. We chose to go.

Our parents were of a very high rank, just so you know. But we got to know some of the people very well. Like the tall thin scribe. Her name was Stayzair, if I remember right. Sazin called her stay there. Then, over the next while, I got to know Adolin quite well, and he is only a year older than me. Mahshi as well."

 **Cole:** Cole looks forlorn at Sam's question.

"To kill a monster greater than you can imagine. The one you call Tesh has something inside of her that could kill countless innocents. None of you _knights_ has the ability to fight against it, and I couldn't be sure of my own victory over it. I will kill it at any cost. If you stand in my way then you _will_ be cast down!" Cole waits for Sam's response.

 **Sami:** Sam, curiously, cocks her head. "So you are trying to save the countless innocents by killing the Splinter. How are you going to do that? By killing Tesh?"

 **Cole:** "If it's the only way, yes."

 **Sami:** Sam laughs harshly. "Killing Tesh isn't going to stop it. It will simply take up residence in another person."

 **Cole:** "If I end her quickly, then it will die too. I can't give it time to escape."

 **Sami:** "And what about Tesh? You say you're trying to save all the innocent people by killing another one?" Sam laughs again, but her eyes are cold. "I don't think that's the way to go."

 **Cole:** "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

 **Sami:** "I don't think that's your choice to make."

 **Cole:** "Then whose? Someone has to stop it and I may be the only one who can fight it. It will kill with the chance, as you have experienced firsthand."

 **Tesh:** "Over the next couple of years, Dalinar became as good as our father. Mahshi and I trained with Adolin, then, when I was sixteen, Gavilar was assassinated. And the war started. We all went to the Shattered Plains to fulfill the Vengeance Pact. After only a few months, I discovered my ability to worldhop. The first time I did it, I somehow took Mahshi and Sazin with me. And..." Tesh broke off, tears filling her eyes. She'd never told anyone this story before.

"And we went to Scadrial. Not on purpose. But we arrived in a building, and we went outside, and right into a group of Steel Inquisitors. They killed Sazin without a thought; that was when I Snapped, and the sadness came. I was just staring in shock at her body when a coin went straight through my shoulder. Then another, and another. I have no idea how I survived. Mahshi had run, as he thought I was dead, and I worldhopped back, just thinking about surviving and filled with grief for Sazin. I had completely forgotten about Mahshi. Later I went back to search for him, and found nothing.

But I still have hope. So I went back, and told Dalinar that Sazin and Mahshi had run away, to seek their fortune. I trained harder than ever, trying to convince my father to take me on a raid, and I started the Knights to find purpose in life. And then the Splinter came along. And now, I'm here." Tesh had been shaking through most of her story, and now, with the weight of that off her shoulders, she started to weep freely, drawing her knees to her chest, just letting the sadness fill her with the pain of loss.

 **Contessa:** Contessa eventually becomes impatient. Her general policy is to never act too interested in anything, and that tends to rule out ever _starting_ conversations. So, after waiting several awkward moments for the others to say something, she abruptly jumps up and walks outside.

As soon as she steps past the door frame, something sharp hits her on the head, breaking the skin. Tess curses and looks up, instinctively healing her cut with Stormlight. The window directly above her is shattered, and Tess narrows her eyes, searching the crowded horizon. _There_ , she thinks, spotting a shadow falling rapidly, shrinking as it neared the horizon.

She looks up again, at the shattered window. _That's the room Samar stormed off to...oh no._ Contessa's eyes widen and she turns to Buzz, her Cryptic.

"Mmmm... You are not ready for this..." he says, and Tess can hear the worry in his vibrating voice.

"When has that ever stopped me?" she asks, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a smile. She blinks, and when her eyes open she is is falling toward an ocean of black beads.

 **S4S:** I remain quiet for a moment. Tesh had just opened up everything about her. Every dark secret she owned. She had lost everything. Except herself.

"You have nothing left to hide," I whisper softly. "That means you have nothing holding you back anymore." I extend my hand to Tesh. "And I have vowed that nothing will hold me back either."

 **Tesh:** Tesh accepts Mathis's hand, and smiles at him. "You know," she says, "You are a strange person, Mathis." As he pulls her up, she says, still smiling, "Plots behind plots. Plans behind plans. There is always another secret."

 **Serce:** Varaseel thinks through Tesh and her story. Teshani's life had been so hard, and when she thinks about it she realizes hers was too. She understands losing people...cold...shaking hands...ripping. Her own experiences flash through her mind in a blur and she pushes them down. _I'm not as brave as Tesh. I can't let my memories go yet_ , Varaseel thinks, standing up on her own. She smiles at Mathis and Tesh, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.

 **Tesh:** She wipes the last remains of her tears away, and dusts off her tattered uniform.

 **S4S:** "Plots are never predictable; you can't plan for them. No plan ever survives first contact, and secrets...Well, I like those." I give Tesh a small smile. Spark beams next to me. I'm starting to to think this is her fault - me warming up like this? I'm growing soft.

 **Tesh:** She nods to Mathis, a faint smile again crossing her lips.

Then she sees something in Varaseel's eyes. A tiny piece of the sadness that Tesh so often felt. So she steps forward, wraps her arm around the woman, and whispers, "Fleet kept running." Then she pulls away, smiling, and if a hint of the sadness touched the smile, Tesh could not feel it.

 **S4S:** "If Fleet weren't dead, I would have loved to race him," I scoff.

 **Serce:** Varaseel feels Tesh's hope and joy. She wishes that it will always cling to her. A blanket. _One day I think I'll be able to share._

"Soon," Flux whispers.

"Thank you for everything, Tesh. Everything."

"If Fleet weren't dead, I would have loved to race him!"

Varaseel laughs, feeling so much better than ten minutes ago or...six years. She just hopes it lasts.

 **Tesh:** Tesh rolls her eyes, and says, "Oh, you're such a pessimist. How about don't give up? And thank you, Varaseel. Stay bold."

 **Contessa:** Contessa squeezes her eyes shut, trying not to panic. She has time to take a single deep breath before plunging into the sea of beads.

 _Where would Samar have gone?_ she wonders, cursing herself for not thinking it through before. As she begins to feel lightheaded, Tess thinks of her friend. Her steadfast, determined friend. _What does Sam want?_ Then it came to her. Sam would want to get to the root of the problem, the person who started this mess.

With the last of her consciousness, Contessa brings Samar and Cole into her mind's eye. _Take me to them,_ she begs.

 **S4S:** "I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist. Fleet died," I shrug. "And I never said anything about giving up."

 **Tesh:** "Yes, but you could have refrained from mentioning that. And you are slightly pessimistic."

 **S4S:** "I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist. Fleet died." I repeat the same action. "And I did hold myself back. At least I didn't say everyone does in the end..."

Spark gives me an annoyed look at that.

 **Serce:** Varaseel smiles some more as Mathis and Tesh go back and forth. "I don't want to interrupt," she stops them. "But Tesh, where did you not want to go?"

 **Tesh:** "Scadrial," she says simply. "It...well, it reminds me of everything. Once I stopped my search for Mahshi, I swore I would never go back. But I have to do something. And I have to do it alone."

 **Serce:** Varaseel nodded. "Good luck."

 **Tesh:** "Thank you. I'll change and then leave. Tell the others where I have gone, if you would." With that, Tesh walks off down the hallway, a faint trail of blue mist following her above her shoulder.

 **S4S:** "Are you sure you want to go alone?" I ask, concerned. "Especially with your past history there?"

 **Contessa:** With the last of her energy, Tess throws herself out of Shadesmar. _Please let that've worked…_

She opens her eyes to an unfamiliar street, easily determined to be in Kholinar by the enormous rock formations on the horizon. Rising, she turns three hundred and sixty degrees, trying to get her bearings. From around a corner she hears voices. She listens intently, trying to make out...Yes, that's Samar. And Cole. Contessa's teeth clench, thinking of Cole, but she edges silently to the corner of the building blocking Sam and Cole from her view. It doesn't sound like they are fighting, but if they start, Contessa plans to be right there to help.

 **Tesh:** Stopping, she turns around. "I'll be fine." Tesh turns around again and continues down the hall. Then to Ani, she says, "And I have someone to deal with when I get back. Someone who rather likes cookies."

 **Sami:** Sam senses Tess around the corner but ignores her.

"Somehow I doubt you're interested in saving innocent people. If it's up to Tesh to make a sacrifice she will do it. But you're not going to kill her. And I'm not going to lose -" Sam chokes a little in her throat, a wave of memories washing over her "- another friend. Tell me your true reason for betraying us."

 **Cole:** "I see nothing will convince you." Cole sighs with sadness. "I actually like you, so I will let you live."

Cole once again Soothes and Riots Sami's emotions until all she feels is fear, except now it is aided by Feruchemical nicrosil. Then he runs up at Sami, burning chromium.

 **S4S:** Tesh walks away from the conversation. She seems sad but determined. I've felt that before. "I hope she knows what she's doing," I whisper.

Spark suddenly pulses brightly, beginning to bob around wildly. The same way that she did beforehand. After a moment, I sense it too. Something is still wrong.

"I gotta go," I tell Varaseel before dashing away.

Back through Samar's room and out the window, I fall to the ground, landing softly on a Pushed coin. I then rush from the building, following Spark as she guides my way.

Through alleys and around buildings, I follow the silver orb through the slums of Kholinar. When she stops, it is in the middle of an alleyway.

There Cole and Samar are engaged in combat. Cole lunges at Sami as she dodges.

I grind my teeth and pop my knuckles. "Oh heck yeah..." I say with an evil grin.

 **Cole:** Cole feels metal moving behind him. When he turns he sees Mathis coming at him. "Another distraction!" He then taps speed to try and move away.

 **Contessa:** Contessa bursts around the corner just as Mathis appears, and they attack together without discussion. Tess can see Samar struggling against Cole's Rioting, her eyes wide as she fights the emotion mounting inside her.

Tess summons her Shardblade in the form of a nimble-looking sword, and strikes, just missing Cole as he dodges with Feruchemically-enhanced speed. For the moment, his attention is diverted from Sam, and she blinks, managing to stay on her feet.

 **Cole:** Cole grits his teeth. "This was supposed to be in and out." He then taps nicrosil, and Riots the emotions of everyone around him until they feel overwhelming terror.

 **S4S:** I roll to the side, dodging Cole's attack. Then I feel something numbing me. I just manage to stay on my feet; I am used to fear, the numbing is what gets me.

I thrust my hands to the sides of my legs. They both slip into something as I unhook them from the sides.

On each arm is a long, rectangular piece of metal, completely encasing my arm lengthwise. On the ends where my fists are, the edge is sharpened to have small metal spikes like those of a butcher's cleaver. I hold the padded handles on the inside of each beater tightly. Each is made out of hardened aluminum, with multiple scratches and scrapes from its times in battles.

Spark floats next to me, nervous energy auraing from her. I growl, dashing forward.

 **Contessa:** Instinctively, Contessa sucks in Stormlight, pushing away some of the effects of Cole's Rioting. Before she has time to think of what she just did, Mathis is attacking.

Drawing inspiration from Carola's trick earlier, Tess ducks around a corner, breathes out a puff of Stormlight, and rushes back. Cole is busy fending of Mathis, and Tess hopes he didn't notice her absence. A moment later, as Contessa runs to help Mathis, Tesh and Varaseel burst out from around the corner, carrying Shardblades and looking very intimidating indeed. Tess smiles, and sends her Lightweavings to surround Cole.

 **S4S:** Tapping speed, I rush Cole head on. Without the mobility of hands, I am mostly just a heavy hitter, not a sword swinger.

That's all I need.

I run toward a wall. Pushing on a piece of metal from the inside of the opposite building, I jump and wall run behind Cole. Then, jumping from that wall, I Push on another piece of metal from inside the building I run on, at the same time Pushing on another anchor inside the building behind Cole.

The momentum gets reversed, and I swing in a large arc, shooting towards Cole from behind.

 **Contessa:** Tess sends her image of Tesh toward Cole, doing her best to make it look like she had Pushed on a dropped coin. Cole dodges the image's Shardblade thrust, sending him closer to Mathis. Contessa smiles in triumph. _Hopefully this continues to fool him…_

 **Sami:** Sam is struggling. Deep beneath Cole's Rioting she knows that Cole is right. And wrong. _Tesh did stab you_ , a tiny voice whispered deep inside of her.

Era zips over uncertainly. "What should I do?" Sam whispers, "...that thing is still inside Tesh and if we don't do anything..."

Era looks frightened. "...WHAT!?" Sam yells, coming to her feet with a jump. "She can get taken over any time by that thing and you _let her wander off by herself!?"_

 **S4S:** As I swing behind Cole, I see one of Contessa's illusions push him back defensively towards me. With me moving forward, and him moving back, I connect a very strong jab into Cole's side.

 **Cole:** Cole grunts, then taps speed even more. He rushes to grab his sword, skin smoking because of the friction.

 **Serce:** Varaseel sits down in her room, silent, turning over her thoughts. Fluxation buzzes on her lap happily, content with life.

All of the sudden she stands up and gasps in pain. Her fingers start twitching and she holds her hands uncertainly.

"Finally," she says in a different voice. Then the Splinter's voice grunts in frustration. It realizes that Varaseel's hands are shaking. It tries to stop it, but it can't.

"Get out!" Varaseel shouts all of the sudden, looking like normal, but she quickly becomes the other version again. The Splinter curses, "I can't get into you the same way as Tesh. I'll be back," and it was gone.

Varaseel looks around, confused, then focuses on her spren. "Flux, it's coming back. I...I need you to go get the others."

"I should stay with you," Flux says urgently.

"I could read some of its intentions - it's coming back. You can't be within its grasp. Go get the others. I can't fight it off. It can't have you too." Varaseel's eyes water.

"Goodbye, Vara..." Flux flies off to warn the others.

Varaseel reflects on how her curse of shaky hands associated with bad memories just saved her life and how she's letting others see Flux. He was so special to her. Varaseel closed her eyes, waiting for the Splinter to attack again.

 **S4S:** I see Cole rush towards something discarded in the shadows. His head start puts him too far away to be caught, so I back off.

Sami is over near the corner of the open area of the alleyway. She seems desperately upset about something.

"What's wrong?" I ask Sami, looking around in case Cole returns. Spark continues to float around, almost like a guard on lookout.

 **Cole:** I finally reach my sword and triumphantly pick it up. I start running for the opposite side of Kholinar, then feel a gigantic set of pulses.

"Oh no..." I whisper with fear. It came back so quick that it will be stronger than any before.

 **Sami:** Sam stands up uncertainly. She has to get to Tesh; even though the Splinter is not currently in control, it wasn't safe for her to be alone. For anyone.

 **S4S:** I put my gauntlets back on my waist. "What is it?" I growl at Sami. Spark is now pulsing very nervously. There's not much time.

Why does everything always go so wrong with me?

 **Sami:** Sam glances at Mathis, fear in her eyes. "This is pointless. Cole is not our real enemy." She takes a quick, shaky breath, then launches herself away and disappears.

 **Tesh:** Tesh walks down a street in the slums of Kholinar. Ani flies up to meet her. She usually came when Tesh worldhopped, but this time she had stayed behind, to watch the Knights.

"Tesh," Ani says, sounding concerned. "You probably want to follow me."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Cole," Ani says simply. "Come on." Ani zooms off, and Tesh Lashes herself upwards, then simultaneously Lashes herself after Ani and dismisses her previous Lashing so she falls through the sky after her spren.

 **S4S:** I watch Sami disappear into the sky. I sigh before kneeling on the ground. I can take a hint. Instead I start storing speed, as I've found it's a good way for me to relax.

Spark is still nervously weaving around. Yet now there is some confusion behind her.

"What am I doing, Spark?"

 _Confusion_

"I wanted to help others. That's why I joined these people."

…

"Yet everything is falling apart. This is why I do not make these attachments to others. They will leave you. Everyone does. That's what I'm trying to stop. I made that vow."

 _Understanding_

"If they leave me when I join them, I am not at fault, because _I_ never left them. They left me..." I say. I rise up, no longer storing speed.

…

"...like everything else..."

 _Defiance_

"Nothing will change my mind on this, Spark."

 _Anger_

"WILL YOU LEAVE ME TOO?" I shout.

…

I turn and walk away. Spark follows after a moment, but not closely like before. Cold and hard like steel, I walk back into the shadows, both physical and mental.

"Will you leave me too..." I whisper to the wind. The only friend who has always been there. And always will be...

 _Sadness_

 **Some Time Later**

I walk the slums of Kholinar silently. No running. No words. Those were for happy times. Not now. Would there ever be one again?

I turn a corner to see a street vendor. An older lady ripped cloths as clothing. Her old frame works fruitlessly to move a large sack of the rags across the street. No one helps.

I move to take the bag from her. She steps aside as I move in to help her. Throwing it over my shoulder, I move the large bag to a wagon on the other side of the street. She follows behind patiently. I drop the goods inside the large wagon. She then thanks me kindly. I feel a little happiness again.

Then she leaves.

The wagon rolls slowly down the dark street, the woman guiding the cart by the front handles. She then disappears into the small crowd of endless faces.

Everyone I help leaves. No one stays. No one comforts. No one…

No one...to nothing…

I slip further and further. Spark begins to fade…

Fading, fading, fading...

 _...gone..._

 _A Note From Ene:_ Aaaaaaaand...the first chapter was around four thousand. This one's almost thirteen thousand. *facepalm* One day I'll be consistent...


	3. Climactic Threads Appear

**Cole:** Cole feels the pulse again. This time the beat is all too familiar. He pales, and a tear goes down his face. "I won't let it happen again. I can't."

 **Serce:** Fluxation buzzes towards the Surgefinders. They all seem to be going different directions.

"Mathis! Contessa! Teshani! Splinter...Varaseel...Varaseel's being taken by the Splinter! She's never had much of a backbone...and we were working on that...and then it showed up and...life was just too perfect, wasn't it?" Flux purrs anxiously, changing patterns at a rapid pace.

 **Tesh:** Tesh sees Fluxation and hears his message. Nothing happens. No sadness, no worry, no concern. Nothing. The familiar tight blue uniform, neat braid, worn boots, those seemed like a part of another person. They seemed a part of Teshani Kholin, not Tesh, daughter of a rich merchant, the street urchin, the girl with a life, a family, a purpose. She had no idea where this sudden lack of emotion had come from. It didn't feel right. But it didn't feel wrong either.

Perhaps it was all the emotion that had used her as a filter in the past years. And the news of Varaseel had finally blocked off all other emotion. Life would go in, the bad, horrible, evil parts staying inside, the normal things becoming emotion. And sometimes, life would catch on the evil, and bring it with it as it became emotion, which lead to the bouts of sadness.

And now, Tesh is blocked off completely, except for the occasional trickle of life that can leak through.

Tesh feels empty. Empty of life. Self. Everything. She settles to the ground and lays on her back, looking at the slowly darkening sky.

She used to do that many times with Mahshi. Side by side, they would lay and stare at the stars, sometimes silent, other times discussing the world.

Even the small flame of hope that he was still alive was burning down.

A faint wind blows through the air, disturbing the peaceful night. But it brought back a little feeling, a feeling of familiarly, like a dog that you had thought was lost long ago, walking up to you and licking your hand.

"You will never leave me, will you?" Tesh whispers to the wind. Then sitting up, she undoes the tight braid that she's always worn, from the day her hair was long enough.

Long dark brown hair whipping around her face in the wind, Tesh changes out of her uniform into loose trousers, a plain shirt, and a glove, packing the uniform neatly into her bag.

Taking her plain side sword, the one she had worn since she was sixteen, she wraps it in a blanket and ties it to the top of her pack. Then, undoing her belt, she takes her knives and slips them into her boots, belt entering the pack.

Teshani Kholin was slowly melting away, leaving just small traces behind. Now, she was Tesh, a traveling lighteyes, lost in a world of light and shadow. A young woman, who had been consumed by the shadow. With extraordinary powers.

The powers of a worldhopper.

The powers of a Windrunner.

The powers of a Mistborn.

The last two were lost, most likely never to be found again.

The power to feel compassion, to understand others.

The power to love.

The physical powers were still there, as sure as the sky is blue, but the spiritual powers were gone.

Tesh walks over to a nearby tree and picks a stick up off the ground. It's about chest high and extremely straight for a branch. Tesh sets off toward Urithiru. She could Lash herself, or worldhop, but she couldn't bear the thought of facing another human.

 **Sami:** Sam silently trudged down the abandoned road in the evening gloom. She didn't Lash, for the memories of the sky were now tainted with the bitter taste of betrayal. She kicked at a rock. Why was everything going wrong?

Right now she wanted nothing more than to fling herself into the sky and run. Run from all her problems, her sorrows, her pain, her fear. She just wanted to go, to leave it all behind. Buried beneath the turmoil of her mind, she hurt. A deep aching memory unearthed from years long left behind, but still dragging behind her like a harness that refused to be cut, and a rope around her neck growing tighter and tighter with each step forward. Tears threatened her and waves of exhaustion swept through her body.

Thunder rolled in the distance, and lightning flashed across the sky. Sam stopped, shaking - jaw set. Rain suddenly poured down in a flood, and in that moment something snapped deep inside of her. She dropped to her knees in the middle of the road, and it all came flooding out in a ragged scream that let loose everything she had been holding back.

Memories washed over her with an overwhelming torrent, of another dark night, of blood, of bodies, of betrayal, and of the unending pain of losing everything you loved. She sobbed and heaved, her emotions drowning her and covering her, so that she gasped for breath. She just wanted to be freed from the pain, the hurt that stabbed like a knife through her heart. She wanted to stop feeling, so that she could never be betrayed.

When she finally rose, a faint tinge of pink spread across the lightening sky. Samar was gone, and in her place was a stranger, with hard unfeeling eyes and a heart devoid of emotion. Nothing, nothing would ever hurt her again. The crucial moment had come, and the stranger that was Sam had made a decision.

 **Contessa:** Contessa watches her friends walk away from the fight, suddenly and without warning. Varaseel's spren, Flux, is buzzing around and chattering something, but the others don't seem to care. Tess walks closer to hear what he has to say.

"...Life was just too perfect, wasn't it..."

Tess stops, brow furrowed. "What are you saying, Flux?"

"Oh, thank you for listening! Varaseel's been taken by the Splinter!"

Tess sighs, looking up into the sky as the last of her friends walk dejectedly away. "Well, it doesn't look like they care much, does it?" She looks back down at Flux, who is buzzing frantically, failing to make eligible words. "Alright, Flux. Take me to her."

 **Tesh:** Step. Step. Thud. Step. Step. Thud.

A pink sky in the distance.

Green grass everywhere, except for the patch under Tesh's feet.

Step. Step. Thud. Step. Step. Thud.

An empty feeling inside.

Tesh was no longer Teshani Kholin, she was Tesh, a young woman who had been lost in the darkness of the world.

Step. Step. Thud. Step. Step. Thud.

Then, a little of Teshani Kholin trickles through, the will, the desire, the _strength_ to fight. It happened in a heartbeat. She ripped away the sadness, the evil, the feeling of loss, and it flowed away.

But ridding oneself of emotion to that level does not come without a price.

Teshani Kholin screamed, sinking to her knees, filled with unbearable pain. It felt like it went on for hours, though it was only seconds.

Tesh lays on the ground, panting. She is no longer that shell, but not completely Teshani Kholin. She was rid of the sadness that had plagued her for those years.

And that ember of hope that Mahshi was alive turned into a bonfire.

Tesh stood up, and Ani floated over.

"If you had gone any further than that, you would be dead!" Ani says, looking quite concerned.

"I'm fine, though," Tesh says looking around. "Could you help me find everyone else?"

Ani sighs, looking at Tesh's eyes. Her light blue eyes, devoid of sorrow, loss, and filled instead with determination and hope.

"Yes, some are still in the slums, so we will go there first. Come." Ani zooms off, in the form of a couple snowflakes drifting, faster than they should, towards Kholinar.

Tesh Lashes herself after Ani, face set, zooming towards her fellows.

 **S4S:** I sit in the middle of a lake. Purelake? Yes. Warm water. Clear water. Don't look at the reflection.

How did I get here? Walking. No. Flying? Yes. Falling. No. Someone else did that. Who? Tevidian? No. Someone else. Don't look at the reflection.

Fish swim by. Small. Silver. One stays near me. I give it a name. Spark seems nice. Where have I heard that before? Don't look at the reflection.

I look up. Warm water. Clear water. What's the name of this lake? Urithiru? Yes. The lake of Urithiru. No. That's somewhere else. This is just a lake. No name. Like the silver fish. No name. Don't look at the reflection.

How did I get here…

 _I remain there for some time. Lost in thoughts then thoughts lost. Yet all the while, I never look at the man in the reflection. Because that face is not one I remember...I don't know that face._

 **Some Time Later**

Bells. They ring, but there is no music to them. Rain. It falls, but I'm already cold. Thoughts. They come and go…

I sit on the edge of a mountain. There is city below me, surrounded by the rock. Urithiru? No. Somewhere else. Luthadel? Yes. That is my home. But no ash falls from the sky. Where did it go?

Where's Tevidian? He hasn't beaten me today. Does he still care? I haven't seen him in a long time. Did I make him mad? No, he's always mad.

Bells. Where am I? Luthadel? No. Urithiru? Yes. The Purelake in the distance. It's raining now. Or has it been? I can't remember. But where is the ash? Did someone clean it all up?

Bells. Rain. I miss him. What's his name? Tevidian? No, he beat the ******* that he fathered. What's the *******'s name? I can't remember. Spark? No. Someone else.

Bells. Where am I? Kredik Shaw? Yes. That's the place...

 _...Mathis...come back..._

 **Cole:** Cole walks out of Kholinar. Once he reaches an area without anyone around, he begins to Push his way towards the Horneater Peaks.

 **Tesh:** Tesh touches down lightly just before she reaches the slums. "Okay, Ani, who is here?"

 **Cole:** Cole arrives at the foot of the Peaks, and begins to steel himself for the ascent.

 **Contessa:** Contessa sprints after Flux, her own spren in sword form. Tess doesn't know if she'll be able to fight the Splinter away with a Shardblade, but it comforts to have the sword in her hand.

 **S4S:** I sit on the top of the large tower art the heart of Urithiru. The rain continues to fall, dark needles of water piercing my cloak. My knees are tucked into my chest, arms wrapped around my legs.

No thoughts. All of them have been used up. No actions. There is no reason to move. No emotions. I just sit, staring straight into the distance. There is nothing left for me.

I no longer feel my cloak. I no longer feel my steelminds. I no longer feel anything. Numb.

From another's view, I would look as a dead man. Sunken eyes, dark with no light inside. Pale skin as white as ash itself. Malnourished and weak, I should be dead.

No magic in the Cosmere can heal a person's loss of the will to live…

Tears begin to fall from my eyes, the rain hiding my weakness...And for the first time since I left my childhood, I cry.

 _...Where did you go..._

 **Tesh:** To Tesh's shock, Ani doesn't enter the slums. "No. Urithiru first. Someone needs you more."

Tesh stares at Ani. "Wait. There is a member of the Knights right in front of us, and we are going to go farther away from them to find someone else?!" Tesh asks, more than a little annoyed.

"Don't argue! There is someone at Urithiru who needs you more."

"I...Fine. This had better be worth it. Lead the way."

Ani flies off towards Urithiru, and the unknown Knight.

 **Sami:** Sam burns steel and sees a glimpse of metal by the road. She bends down. A dull Scadrian coin pressed hard into the dirt stares up at her. Looking up, she clenches her jaw and mentally warns the others to stay away. She would see this through on her own. Pulling out her knife and Pushing off the coin, she begins to track Cole.

 **S4S:** _The rain beats hard. All is cold and dark. The wind blows swiftly, but it provides no comfort. I still sit on the top of the tower in Urithiru._

 _I am the embodiment of nothing. Staring at nothing. Thinking of nothing. Feeling nothing. I am nothing. Only one thought remains: My father treated me as nothing. He was right. I am nothing._

 _I. Am. Nothing._

 _The first motion on hours that I make is bowing my head to the storm._

"Where did I go wrong..." I whisper.

 _Rumbling thunder._

"Please," I beg, "before I go. Where did I quit running?"

 _Fleet kept running. Even to the end. I can no longer run. I have made it to my end. I have finished my journey. My race is over._

 _And with that, I relax. Knowing I have given it all I was, I can sleep in endless peace._

 **Tesh:** Tesh sees Urithiru in the distance, rearing up like a gigantic snake, ready to strike.

She lands gracefully on the top, and sees a dark form huddled up in a ball, as if to hide from the world.

 _Mathis,_ Tesh thinks.

She walks over to him, and lays her hand on his shoulder. He looks up, and to her surprise, his face was streaked with tears. Loose hair whipping around her face, Tesh says, her voice firm and filled with determination, "Fleet kept running. The fact that he died is irrelevant. The important part is that he kept going, he didn't give up. Yes, he died, everyone dies. But as long as you can keep running, run. Don't give up. A life is priceless. You will, die, eventually, but don't let now be the time. If you can push, and you need to push, push. If you can pull, and you need to pull, pull. You can run, and you need to run, so run, Mathis. Keep running. _Don't give up._ You can push, and you need to push, _so push!"_

 **S4S:** Someone touches my shoulder. I turn to look. A woman is there. What's her name? Spark? No. That's someone else. The wind whips her hair around her face. Have I seen her before? I don't remember…

"Fleet kept running..." she says firmly, "...You can run, and you need to run, so run, Mathis. Keep running. _Don't give up._ You can push, and you need to push, _so push!"_

 _...Mathis…_

The mention of the name brings back some lucid thoughts to my mind. I no longer care for where I am or how I got there; the world seems to disappear around me.

"I have kept running, though," I whisper.

 _...Mathis…_

That name again. Yet no one spoke.

"I have done my course. My purpose is fulfilled."

 _...Mathis…_

The name again. Yet this time, I listen…

"I have helped those who have been forgotten. Yet I am then the one forgotten in the end."

 _...Mathis... I never left you... No one left you…_

Spark?

I then notice Tesh. She came back. Why? I am nothing. A *******. An outcast. A killer.

 _...A friend, Mathis…_

The words hit me like the highstorm. I have never considered myself as that. Nor would I think anyone else too consider me as one either. In all my years, I never saw someone as a true friend. Yet here was Tesh as proof. Was I really that far off the mark?

A silver orb begins to appear in front of me, almost as if it ripping itself from hiding. Purpose begins to come back in me.

"When I die," I whisper, "it will be when I fall in front of the sword to save another behind me." Determination fills me once more as I stare at the small spren. "I closed off the world, Spark. I closed off you. You were there, and I ignored you. No longer."

I close my eyes and bow my head. "Even if it is me ignoring, I will listen. I will not make the same mistake again..."

I rise my head and meet the spren. " _I will listen to those who have been ignored."_

Stormlight explodes from me.

 **Megasif:** Zephyras opened his eyes. It was as if he had been asleep for a millennia. The sudden flood of emotions threatened to imprison him once more inside the void that he had narrowly escaped. This was not what he asked for. This is not what he had wanted. Heart beating fast, he took a deep breath. So much had happened. So much time had passed. So fast. So long. Like an ephemeral infinity.

They had suffered so much. His friends. His companions. All he could do was watch. And listen. Listening. That had hurt the most. The shadow had told him of their ultimate fate. But not now. And if Zephyras could help it, then never.

He could feel the two at the top of the tower. Zephyras had materialised back inside the room where they had all met on the fateful first meeting. They had brought him back. He had a brother. Another Edgedancer. There was hope yet.

Feeling the strength return to his body, Zephyras gets up and makes his way towards the top of the tower.

As he steps out onto the roof of the tower, he is almost blinded by the miniature sun. Another figure is close by. Could it be? Was that Tesh?

It was all worth it. That time spent in suffering. Holding back the shadow. He couldn't do it alone anymore. And he didn't need to.

With that, he steps forward towards his family.

 **Serce:** Varaseel gasps as the Splinter came back and took control. She knows that she won't be able to fight it off as easily this time, so she just lets it in. All of a sudden she can feel it, making decisions and moving her body for her. Something that feels completely wrong. Varaseel has no control of it; she's moving even though she wishes with all her heart that she can be back with Flux. She senses it in her, like before, its mind slightly open so Varaseel can read its current thoughts and wishes, though a lot more is closed off now.

"It's the same for you," it whispers in her mind. "I can tell what you want to do and your immediate reactions, but you have secrets. You have a _lot_ of them, hidden behind walls. Too bad you don't have a backbone!" It laughed. "You're a lot easier to control than Tesh...just different." It goes thoughtful for a moment, though it purposely blocks its thoughts.

"You're a lot more powerful than they think...You've never liked fighting, that's all that kept you back...and the fact that you didn't like exploring with some of your powers..." Memories are pushed towards her by the Splinter, but she pushes them back.

Fear stirs within her. It has her powers and knowledge. Even if _she_ isn't dangerous with them, the Splinter is dangerous by itself. And now it has her powers...Varaseel continues walking toward wherever it was taking her, but inside she's sobbing. _Poor Surgefinders...and Fluxation...it can't get Flux. It can't._

 **S4S:** The sudden amount of Stormlight slowly dissipates from me. I can feel my body begin to fully heal from the highstorm incident. My ribs no longer hurt and I don't ache all over. My strength also returns. All of this uses up most of the Stormlight. Only tiny wisps remain.

I look at Spark momentarily. She has gone quiet as before. But she beams with happiness and relief. That's good.

Then I see Tesh. I look into her eyes, then turn away. I cannot fully meet her gaze. After all that I have done? How far was I from myself? I will never forgive myself for those thoughts that lasted hours but felt like years. But I have to remember them. I have to, so that I won't walk that same path again.

I wipe my eyes as I rise to my feet. But before I can say anything to Tesh, a man emerges onto the roof. He looks familiar, yet more dark.

"Zephyras?" I ask, shocked. What happened to him? He had disappeared after the first meeting. Before he seemed more relaxed. Now, he seems...hardened. "What happened?"

 **Cole:** Cole taps his tin metalmind to make sure he wasn't followed. He sees a blur slowly moving towards him. To confirm his suspicions. As he thought, it's Sami. Cole sits down and waits.

 **Tesh:** Tesh puts up a hand to shield her eyes from the light.

And smiles. She smile the truest smile that ever crossed her face.

Soon, the light begins to fade, and Tesh walks up to Mathis. "You kept running. Now, let's go kick some evil Splinter all the way to Braize, so it can get stabbed by Odium!" Tesh makes a face that makes Mathis grin.

 **S4S:** Tesh's smile brings a small grin to my face. Can I make it up to her? To everyone? Well, one way to find out. I nod. "On your lead, Tesh."

 **Sami:** Sam watched Cole sit down and wait. She grimaced. He had spotted her and was waiting. She bounded forward, Lashed herself over his head, rolled, and came up with her knives in hand.

 **Tesh:** Tesh gives Mathis another grin. "Let's go find a splinter," she says, then jumps off the city. A few seconds later, she pokes her head back up and says,"Um... Do you want me to Lash you?"

 **S4S:** I look back down at Tesh. I then shake each of my legs in turn. Then I pop my knuckles. "I think I got this," I say as I dash away, following Spark as she bobs in front of me. I'm truly glad to have her back now.

As I run, I begin to practice my ability in negating friction. I run and slide, feeling more alive than ever. This is right. Did I really want to give this up?

I continue running, more free and happy than ever before.

 **Cole:** Cole didn't even flinch to Sam flying over his head. He instead sat there, waiting for her to either attempt to murder him or negotiate.

"So, is this where you hurl me into space again?" Cole asked with a smirk. "If you do I'll be aiming for you."

 **Sami:** Sam narrows her eyes. "I should kill you right now."

 **Cole:** "But you haven't yet," Cole responds smugly.

 **S4S:** I run behind Spark as she dashes through the air in front of me. The wind whips at my face once again. I feel the best I have ever felt before.

The others have achieved their Second Oaths as well. Not that I saw it as competition, but I laugh thinking I am now up to their level. They are all so much better than me. I just have a higher bar to reach now.

As I run, I ask Spark about the ability for a spren to become a Shardblade. The others can summon one. Do I have the same ability?

 _...unsure…_

At her response, my theories about Spark begin to solidify. I can sense in her response it's not me she is unsure of, but herself. I don't push any further. Besides, when I fight I prefer my own aluminum gauntlets. I like to feel my enemies break by my own hand, not that of a sword.

Soon Spark begins to slow, before stopping in front of a standoff between Cole and Sami.

"Here we go again," I whisper to Spark as I step forward.

 _...uneasy…_

"It will end differently this time."

 _...skeptical…_

"I promise."

 _...reassured..._

 **Tesh:** Tesh touches down lightly behind Mathis, her Shardblade forming into a spear.

 **Contessa:** Tess stops short behind Flux, who is buzzing frantically. "Mmmm... Gone." They've reached the Knights' temporary base, but Vara is nowhere to be found. "...Gone..."

Tess walks a few paces away from the nervous Cryptic to have a whispered conversation with her own.

"What do you think?" she asks Buzz as he makes his way to eye level on the wall.

"My brother is worried. We must help him."

"Well, yes, I can tell that much. Do you know where Varaseel is?"

"Mmmm... I could find her. On the other side."

"Thank you."

 **Cole:** Cole sees Mathis in the distance. With a grimace he flares bendalloy so he and Sami can finish their conversation.

 **S4S:** I watch as Cole and Sami suddenly blur. Another metal maybe?

 **Cole:** Cole drops the speed bubble. A confused look is on Sami's face when Cole throws a bag of coins at her. Sami instinctively catches it, standing there for a second before being hurled in a gigantic Push away from him. Cole then begins to scale the Horneater Peaks. Before he leaves, however, he grabs a thin object off the ground.

 **Sami:** Sam slams hard into a boulder. Feeling her ribs crack, she grins ruefully. _That was short._ Then darkness claims her while the Stormlight slowly begins its work.

 **Tesh:** Tesh raises her hand. Cole and Sami haven't noticed anything. Sitting in the middle of her hand is a coin. Suddenly Tesh Pushes it forward, and it soars over Cole's head, clattering to the ground. He turns around, Sami lying on the ground a few paces away.

"Facing someone with their back towards you is a cowardly thing to do," Tesh says, strong and bold. "So I will face you. Head on. If you can pull, and you need to pull, pull!" Tesh Pulls on the bag of coins sitting by Sam, then Pushes them in midair towards the Peaks, and they crash into Cole, knocking him to the ground.

 **Cole:** Cole jumps back up, then hurls two glass knives at Tesh.

 **Sami:** Sam opens her eyes in time to see Cole crash to the ground next to her. Sensing her opportunity, she reaches out and slaps him from behind with a ton of heavy Lashes to the ground.

 **Cole:** Cole pulls on the metal checkpoints that he made to jump up on the Horneater Peaks. He shifts an inch, but the Lashings are too strong.

"$#% % %%#!" he yells, before Pulling on the bag of coins Tesh launched at him, then shooting it back at her.

 **Tesh:** Tesh casually Pushes the bag of coins aside and steps up to Cole. Suddenly, a speed bubble surrounds them.

"I'm not going to kill you," Tesh says slowly. A Shardblade appears in her hand, long, thin, and wickedly sharp.

The Shardblade comes whistling down and hits Cole in the leg, and as the flesh fuzzed, it simultaneously turned a horrible gray.

Tesh does the same thing with his other leg, then one of his arms. Slowly, the Lashings binding Cole begin to disperse, and the speed bubble vanishes.

"Carola," Tesh says, suddenly brisk. "Would you mind escorting our dear friend back to Urithiru, then come join us again?"

 **S4S:** "No," I say quickly.

Tesh turns suddenly, expression unreadable.

"I'll take him. I'll be back before you know it." I move to grab Cole. Other than a grimace on his face, he never cried out. I'd give him that much.

 **Tesh:** "If you wish to take him, so be it," Tesh says, face devoid of emotion.

But inside, she feels at peace. She stopped Cole, and did not kill in the process. But then another thought punctures the peace like a spear thrust through the hide of a creature. The Splinter.

"Hurry, Mathis," she says, tone urgent. "Before it's too late."

 **S4S:** I grab Cole and swing him over my shoulder. He remains quiet except for a small grunt as I haul him over.

"Thanks, Sam," I say with a smile. That's something I consider a rarity. I then run towards Urithiru.

 **Tesh:** "Yes, thank you Samar," Tesh says, grinning.

 **S4S:** I run across Roshar with Cole in tow. Thankfully he doesn't Pull anything. But after a few minutes of running, I suddenly veer off course. I run towards a ravine where a mountain fell apart, boulders fallen across the landscape.

I place Cole down amid the rocks, back against a boulder. I then sit across from him, legs crossed and arms on my knees. I watch him for a moment. Spark floats near him, quiet.

 _"Why?"_ I ask.

 **Sami:** Sam frowned after Mathis. They should have disarmed him first, or Cole could get away again. And she wasn't going to let that happen, not after everything they had gone through. She turns to see Tesh standing there.

 **Cole:** Cole replies to Mathis, "To kill the _thing_ that has possessed your friends." Cole throws up a bendalloy bubble. Luckily, since nothing nearby is moving, it is nearly invisible.

 **Tesh:** Tesh was staring with a distant expression on her face in the direction Mathis and Cole had gone. Then, sensing Samar looking at her, she turns.

"If you are wondering why I didn't kill him, I have four words for you. A life is priceless.

I hope Mathis has some aluminum..." Tesh returns to staring at the horizon.

Tesh had changed, anyone could see it. It was partly in the way she looked, with the work clothes, and her hair down, and how she held herself. But there was something else, that no one could quite put their finger on. She looked more confident, more relaxed.

She looked as though her soul had finally settled down.

She had found her place in the Cosmere.

She was one of its protectors.

 **Sami:** Sam turns, and her cold eyes bore into Teshani's. "The battle is not over yet."

 **Tesh:** "No, it is not. It is merely one step closer to the end."

 **S4S:** Cole replies to the question. That's a start. I lean forward more.

"And in doing so, you would kill those who _trusted_ you?" I ask back. "Those who _believed_ in you?"

 **Sami:** Sam shakes her head slowly. "We are closer to the end than you think, Teshani Kholin." Her eyes don't hold any warmth, only a stone wall barring any sight of emotion.

Then she tenses. "Who is with Varaseel?"

 **Tesh:** Tesh suddenly tenses too. "I'll go find her." Tesh starts falling into the sky, but then comes back down again. "Samar, I'd like you to come with me."

 **Sami:** Sam's eyes narrow as she hesitates, then shakes her head as she rises into the air. "I have some business to take care of. I'll meet you back at Urithiru later."

 **Tesh:** "Sam, you will come with me," Tesh says, suddenly commanding.

 **Sami:** Sam rolls her eyes. "Fine. I'll do it later."

 **Cole:** "Without even a second of hesitation." Cole's eyes were resolute. "This _thing -"_ His voice was filled with venom "- is one of the most dangerous things in the cosmere. I would end my own life if it meant its death."

Cole runs out of bendalloy and he realizes he wasted his chance. _I won't allow my emotions to cloud my judgement_ , he tells himself.

Cole stares at Mathis. "I suppose this is where you kill me to 'protect your friends'?"

 **Sami:** Sam grabs the blades on the ground and straps them to her leg. Then she tilts her head at Tesh. "Lead on, _commander_."

 **S4S:** I lower my head for a moment before looking at Spark. A moment later, I breathe in the Stormlight from the pouch under my cloak. Leaning forward, I reach out and touch each of his legs, breathing the light out of me. Soon his legs are both healed from the Shard wounds.

I can't tell what I see on Cole's face. All of his emotions are hidden behind his mask of will. The will to destroy whatever this thing was.

"Then why would you kill one of them," I say rising, "when they clearly do not have this Splinter in them?"

I touch his wounded arm, breathing out the last of my Stormlight.

"I don't believe in much, Cole. But I'm _trying_ to believe in second chances." I kneel eye level with Cole, searching through his eyes. "You amount to something, Cole. It took me too long to realize that, about everyone. Even longer about myself..."

With a much colder look, I squeeze Cole's newly healed arm. "But don't make me regret my decision though. Because my fists are still itching for a beating..."

 **Cole:** "The only one I have _tried_ to kill is Tesh. I don't know what happened, but it's not in her anymore." Cole discreetly reaches his hand out to the side. "You have no idea of the stakes that are on the line here; that Splinter could end countless lives. I would kill every last one of you if it gave me a chance to kill this thing."

A Shardblade suddenly appears in Cole's hand, and before Mathis can react he swings it...at his own legs? It shears though his legs in an instant. He whirls it up to his right arm, and cuts it off as well.

"I don't need your pity," Cole says in disgust, "or any debt to you. It will make it easier if I have to kill you."

 **Tesh:** "Samar," Tesh says, "Please do not call me that. But yes, we must go."

Before Tesh and Samar fall off, Ani zooms up to Tesh. "Um, Tesh, I've sort of kinda been following Mathis and Cole, and.."

"Um, I get why you did that, but that's kinda creepy. You've been following a lot of people recently," Tesh says, sighing.

"Yes, but Cole healed again! Mathis did it. But then Cole...he's in bad condition."

Tesh suddenly looked angry, then she calmed herself slightly. "Ani, take me to them. Samar, stay here. I need to check this out."

Ani flies off and Tesh takes off after her, falling towards the place where Mathis and Cole had gone, Samar standing staring after them.

 **S4S:** Cole hits himself back down to the ground. With that action, I realize nothing would persuade him otherwise.

"It's not charity," I say to Cole, "it's a second chance."

I walk away, head bowed to the ground. "I tried, Spark," I whisper to my spren, "At least I _tried_..."

 **Sami:** Sam watches Tesh go. The she shugs and launches herself in the air towards the Horneater Peaks.

 **Tesh:** Tesh sees Mathis and Cole in the distance, two oddly snapped lumps in the distance.

 **Sami:** Sam touches down behind Cole and Mathis. She spent time in the Peaks by herself and headed back when Era had told her just what had happened. Her eyebrows shoot up at Mathis's forlorn face and Cole lying there awkwardly.

She touches Mathis's shoulder. "Mathis, we need to get Cole behind bars quickly. And we should Leech him as soon as possible."

 **S4S:** I look at Sami. "We had a little...detour."

Looking back at Cole, I can't help but suppress the thought, _I try to help, but he just shrugs me off. Is this how I was to others?_

I grab Cole once more, and, giving Sami a nod and a smile, I run the rest of the way to Urithiru. It still feels weird smiling like that...

 **Sami:** Sam takes off to into the sky after Mathis. Hovering in the air for a second, she glances back at Tesh, and then the next second she has disappeared into the sky.

 **Tesh:** The Oathgate looms in the distance, and four figures make their way to the tower city, across the Shattered Plains, like strange ants walking across a cobblestone street.

 **Sami:** Sam activated the Oathgate, and Urithiru loomed up in front of them. She then went in to see if Varaseel was all right.

 **S4S:** I place Cole onto the ground after stepping through the gate. I ask Tesh if she can take care of Cole. "As a full Mistborn, I assume you will be able to deal with him?" I ask, itching to get out of public, "possibly Leech him while you're at it?"

Spark seems to be slowly getting nervous about something...

 **Tesh:** Tesh glares at Cole, then says, "Of course, and I already have."

 **Sami:** Sam steps over. "I'll help. Where are we taking him?"

 **S4S:** "Not my problem," I say lazily as my eyes wander over to Spark. She seems to pull me in a certain direction. Why? Do the others have these same promptings? "I'll catch up in a bit. I always do."

I then dash out of the crowd. I hate having multiple eyes on me. Especially ones that I don't know. Spark keeps urging me. I begin to follow her, consciously taking the long way around the city to stay out of sight.

 **Tesh:** "Wait, you're not going to let me take that Splinter down?! After what it made me do?" Tesh says, somewhat angrily. "Well, I suppose I could just lock him up good," she mutters to herself. "Then go. Boy, I didn't start the Knights for nothing."

 **Sami:** Sam looked at Cole as Tesh dumped him in order to go after Vara. "Well, you must certainly feel appreciated for all the trouble you've caused," she remarked, and so, slinging Cole over her shoulder she proceeded to the infirmary to get his legs and arm tended to.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix Elsecalls himself into the room. "Am I late? Someone told me the meeting was in the Reshi Isles...where did everyone go? I guess I had better check my map at the Palaneum."

 **Tesh:** Tesh sighs. "No, it's not. And the meeting was a few days ago. You have missed quite a lot. Anyhow, why don't you go with Samar to lock up Cole? I'm going to go destroy a Splinter. Let's go, Mathis. And thank you, Samar." Tesh and Mathis walk out of the room, to fight what might be their last battle.

 **Sami:** Sam gets Cole locked up, and heads to her room.

She changes into a fresh uniform, straps on all her daggers and braces, and grabs far more vials than she would ever need. There was no harm in being prepared.

 **Cole:** Cole lays down in his cell. "These limbs are gonna get annoying quickly. Oh well, it's just a bit of healing."

Cole's limbs rapidly regenerate back to their previous glory. He stands up and stretches. "Might as well make myself comfortable," Cole says out loud, with the grin of someone without a care in the world…

 **Tesh:** Tesh and Mathis stand at the top of Urithiru. Well, Mathis stands, and Tesh sits on the edge, legs hanging over the side.

"Where should we begin?" Tesh asks, staring into the cloudy sky.

 **S4S:** "First of all," I say looking out across the landscape of Urithiru, "is who in Death's name was that back there? _Another_ knight?" I look down on Tesh, folding my arms and raising an eyebrow.

Spark pulses slowly near me. I know we need to be moving, as does she. But I have begun to realize that maybe slowing down might be a better option. People might begin to question as to the means of how I know where to go.

We need to get to Vara. I know where to go, but…

I look back at Spark.

 _...understanding...impatient...understanding...worried..._

 **Tesh:** "Yes. Why do you ask? We need as much help as we can get. And his name is Phoenix," Tesh adds as an afterthought.

 **Phoenix:** "Yep, that's me. I'm good at getting people places too. Is there somewhere you need to be?"

 **Tesh:** "Yep, that's me," Phoenix says, poking his head through the door. "I'm good at getting people places. Is there somewhere you need to be?"

 **S4S:** "Phoenix?" I question. "What's your story? Other than getting lost..."

Spark floats around Phoenix. She pulses happily. _...Friend!..._

I nod after he finishes his tale. Although he doesn't seem broken like the rest of the Knights, Spark seems to like him. But hey, maybe it will be good to have one person fully sane.

 **Phoenix:** Starting from what at first appears to be a shadow behind Phoenix, a black, inky form slowly takes shape. Eventually, a well dressed, handsome man appears within the midnight-black, glistening form. "And I'm Preston!"

 **Tesh:** "Well, let's get cracking. Mathis, do you have any ideas as to where the Splinter is, 'cause I'm out of ideas for the moment."

 **S4S:** I look over at Spark. "I got a hunch," I say casually. "But who is Preston?" I say, looking at the new figure.

 **Phoenix:** Preston remarks, "Doesn't anyone study their own history? Clearly, I am an inkspren. I admit, I am a bit of an extrovert for my kind. Most don't like to reveal themselves to others."

 **Sami:** Sam appears behind Tesh and Mathis. "What are you storming guys doing?! I didn't offer to take Cole from Tesh so that you guys could sit on the edge of a cliff and cool your heels."

 **S4S:** I look to see Sami standing next to us. She seems upset and impatient. Spark floats over to her. _...Impatient...impatient…_

"So I take it that you did manage lock him up though?" Sami gives me a glare from that comment. When did I become so loose with my tongue?

 **Tesh:** "Mathis," Tesh says, sounding slightly annoyed. "Do you have any idea where the Splinter is?"

 **S4S:** "I don't know if I can find the Splinter," I say turning back to Tesh, "but there's one place we could check." I begin to follow Spark.

 **Tesh:** "Let's go. Samar, you'd better come too, and Phoenix can come if he wishes. We need as much help as possible," Tesh says, standing up on the low wall.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix looks up from his book. "Oh, people are leaving now. Where to?" He looks at Preston. "Yes, I know it will be dangerous!"

 **S4S:** The wind whips across my face as I run across the land. This is what I was born for. Free with the breeze. One with the wind.

I look up to see Tesh and Sami following up above. Phoenix is nowhere to be seen. Elsecaller. Right. What a strange man…

Following Spark across the landscape, my mind begins to wander until I fall back to my memories. Memories of a lost soul who wandered across Roshar. It felt like years of cold darkness, not hours. Not as terrible as nights in the mists, but memories stored away for reasons were ripped free. Reasons even darker.

Was I really that far off? They brought me back. Tesh brought me back. Why?

As I continue running, my anger begins to rise. Blood pumps through me, pulsing to my hatred. My teeth grit to a clenched jaw. Hands balled, pushing myself forward faster with each step. I will not fail again…

 **Tesh:** Tesh grins gleefully, then the grin turns into a smile of pure delight.

When she was younger, she had often had dreams of flying, of being free. The world having no control over her. And those dreams had become reality just a few years ago.

A shout of joy escapes her lips, the land flying by beneath her. Mathis and Phoenix under her, Samar by her side.

Suddenly Tesh Lashes herself upward and passes through the grey clouds, emerging soaking wet. The sun shines above in a clear blue sky, and the endless grey clouds stretch in all directions beneath her.

Tesh flies above the clouds, eyes closed, mouth stretched wide in an exuberant grin.

Finally, after a few minutes, Tesh Lashes herself back under the clouds to join the others.

They continue, covering miles in minutes, minute after minute, for about five hours. But Tesh's smile never fades.

 _This may be my last time doing this,_ Tesh thinks. _I may die, and I gladly will to destroy this Splinter, if needed, or to imprison it. But I will enjoy this experience even more because of that._ Then, to herself, she whispers, "What comes, comes. And I will meet it when it does."

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix yells, "You know, if we knew where we were going I could simply take you all there in an instant! But I can see you are enjoying yourselves, so I'll just keeping popping around down here unless you change your minds!"

 **Tesh:** Tesh nods in Phoenix's direction, even though she is not sure he can see her. Because he certainly would not be able to hear her.

 **S4S:** I smile at Phoenix at his smarty comment. That helps to rid my gloom. Soon Spark begins to slow, just as Tesh falls back through the clouds.

"Is she not in Urithiru?" I ask.

 _...Certainty…_

Then, up ahead, I see a large, clear body of water. The Purelake.

"This place again..." I mumble under my breath. Just as I try to remove memories of darkness, the sun of happiness begins to set.

At the points in my life where I feel I have stepped into the light, there is always another sunset to night.

 **Sami:** "Tesh, we've got to get ready to _fight_ and take Vara - or rather the Splinter inside Vara - into custody, and to do that we may have to hurt Vara. You should be ready for that."

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix calls to those within earshot, "Perhaps once things start going down, I should take a position in Shadesmar? I may be of some unique assistance there. Also, the lake will be solid ground to me there, and I would rather not ruin this outfit. Just don't go attracting the wrong kind of spren so things don't get nasty for me. Be brave and don't get hurt!"

 **Tesh:** "Yes, Samar. I know. And I'm ready." Tesh's face adopts a determined expression, even though a flickers of regret and sadness flit across it occasionally. But other than that, Tesh is impassive.

Tesh then starts checking that she has all of her weapons, that they are in working order, that she has digested several vials of metal, and has plenty of infused spheres in her pockets as well as vials, with even more in her pack.

"Side sword... Check," she mutters to herself. "Spear..." She nudges it with her foot as it is lying on the ground besides her. "Check. Daggers..." Tesh checks her boots. "Check. Bow and arrows..." She plucks the string of the bow and flicks the quiver, both of which are slung over her back. "Check. Spheres..." Pack, pockets, and herself. "Check. Metals..." Tesh grabs several bottles and ingests them, sticking the rest in her pockets or pack. "Check. Shardblade..." A Shardblade appears in her hand. "Check." The Shardblade fades back into mist. "I'm ready," Tesh says, straightening. All traces of regret and sadness were gone. "Let's do this."

 **Sami:** Sam's face could have been made of stone. She shot up ahead and lit down at the edge of the Purelake.

 **Tesh:** Tesh slowly walks over to Samar. "Hey," she says quietly, standing besides her friend. "You okay? You ready to save the Cosmere?"

 **Sami:** Sam's face remained impassive. "Yeah. I'm ready." Sam turned. "Do you even have a plan for getting rid of this thing?"

 **S4S:** The others begin to walk into the Purelake. I remain back momentarily before following, taking up the rear.

The warm water splashes my legs as I walk. One step. Splash. One step. Splash. It washes over my feet, but it provides no comfort. Not only do memories of a broken man losing his will to live in these waters bring a sense of solemnity to me, but also of what we are about to do. "I haven't fought the Splinter yet," I whisper to Spark. "The others have been upholding this fight while I sit and lose myself."

…

"What if it comes to harm?" I ask the spren. "What if these clear waters run red with blood?"

…

"I can already feel myself slipping back into the void," I whisper as I bow my head, eyes closed, "but I will _not_ let others fall as I have."

…

I look back to the silver orb. A mix of cold hardness and determination manifest across my face. "If these waters do run red with blood, it will be mine..."

 _...Understanding...sadness...understanding..._

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix watches silently from the shoreline. It was good to get out again. Spending so much time sifting through the unreliable histories on this planet was infuriating! Couldn't everyone see these records had been altered? It reminded him of what he had seen on Scadrial, before Harmony ascended.

Preston was anxious. There was clearly danger present, but he had to stand firm, and encourage his newfound allies as best he can. If this was indeed an active Splinter of Odium, as he surmised, then there was no time for second-guessing. He knew what he had to do.

Phoenix had many different uncut gemstones ready for Soulcasting, as well as plenty of broams full of Stormlight. He also had his metalminds full of all kinds of stored Investiture ready for use.

He was also prepared to Elsecall himself or others with him to the Cognitive Realm to escape or to implement different strategies, if necessary. However, spren were different there, and many were extremely dangerous, especially around strong emotional activity in the Physical Realm. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

 **Sami:** Sam narrowed her eyes in impatience, scanning the water. Where was Varaseel?

 **Cole:** Cole taps nicrosil and burns bronze. He may not be able to participate in the battle, but he can at least tell when it begins.

 **Tesh:** Tesh stands besides Samar, letting her eyes wander over the water as well.

"She may be here, Samar," Tesh says, eyes focusing on her friend.

 **Phoenix:** "She is here. I can sense a very strong Investiture in the area," Phoenix noted.

 **Sami:** Lines appeared in Samar's forehead. "I'm going to pretend that made sense."

 **Serce:** Varaseel appears suddenly, right in front of them, smiling.

A Note From Ene: Hey, guys!

If you've gotten this far, you're either a fan, or you're one of the writers. So, well, good to see you! I should apologize for taking a few days to post this. As compensation, I tried to get a good amount of content in, but it IS a cliffhanger, so I'm not sure how much I actually compensated here! XD

Either way, I hope dearly that you're enjoying Knights of the Cosmere. Its writers have worked hard to prepare this tale for you, and of course there's plenty more for you to devour. Storms, we're not even to RP2 yet - y'all know nothing about the Speaker of Silence, the Fulfillment, or who dies next time.

"Wait, DIES?" you say? Oh, did I say that? Well, I guess you'll just have to read and see if I'm telling the truth or not! Mmm, delicious lies.

Until next time

\- AonEne


	4. And We Conclude

**Serce:** Varaseel appears suddenly, right in front of them, smiling.

 **Sami:** Sam's knife heads for Vara's shoulder.

 **Serce:** Samar's vision goes completely black before she gets to Varaseel.

 **Tesh:** "Storms!" Tesh nearly falls backwards in shock, but as soon as she regains her balance, a Shardblade appears in her hand. She steadies herself, takes a calming breath, then darts in with speed, agility, and skill that no one had known she possessed.

 **Sami:** Sam grits her teeth. _What the heck?_ She shoots up into the air out of the blackness to regain her bearings.

 **Serce:** When Samar jumps over whatever she thinks is the darkness, her vision comes back to normal. Varaseel vanishes. The lake has ripples as if someone were standing in it, several places, none of which where she was standing. All of the sudden Mathis feels like he's pushed by the wind. He only moved a foot.

 **S4S:** Vara had suddenly appeared in front of the group. After a short moment and an attack from Sami, she disappears. Lightweaving? Then the wind and waves push against me. I stumble back a few paces and fall to one knee at the sudden attack of the elements.

 _...Concern…_

I rise up part way in a crouch, the wind returning to normal. I tap my speed, waiting.

 **Tesh:** Tesh falls back, Shardblade still in hand. The evening was oddly silent, as though a cloth had been thrown over the world.

 _Splish. Splash._

 _Silence._

 _Nothing._

Even the tiny ripples from the Purelake had silenced. Everything was still there, just silent, muted. Tesh says, "Everyone, stay alert." But it sounded as though she were speaking in the tiniest of whispers. The others didn't hear her, even though she had been speaking normally. "Anyone?" she says, slightly louder. "Hello!" Tesh finally starts screaming, trying to get someone's attention. The others don't appear to notice.

She sighs, relaxing slightly. The silence lifts.

And with it, Varaseel's Lightweaving.

 **Serce:** Mathis is pushed back again. He notices Tesh and Samar forced similarly. Then nothing, again.

 **S4S:** Again I get pushed back by the breeze. I have more stability this time, so I don't stumble. "I thought you were my friend..." I whisper into the wind.

 _...Uncertainty..._

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix suddenly appears behind Varaseel, and in an instant a Shardblade sweeps at her legs. "Didn't see me coming, did you?"

 **Serce:** Varaseel screams at the sudden pain. "Nope," she breathes shakily. Her legs quickly heal and she backs up from Phoenix.

"Who are you anyway?" The real Varaseel sees a thought flash through the Splinter's head: _And where is that spren when I need him?_

 **Sami:** Sam curses as the winds nearly knock her backwards. Summoning her Blade, she strikes out at Varasevil and yells, "Storm you, Vara, I know you're in there. _FIGHT IT!"_

 **S4S:** _...Urgency…_

I watch as Vara falls as Phoenix slices at her from behind.

 _...Urgency…_

Then Sami swings at her as well.

 _...URGENCY…_

"WHAT?" I exclaim impatiently as I turn from the fight to look at Spark. But she isn't alone. Another spren floats near, seeming afraid.

"So you made a friend?" I say to her with a sigh, then add, "I will listen to those who have been ignored."

The spren stays back, cautious. It looks back and forth from me to…

"You're Vara's spren," I realize in shock.

 **Tesh:** Tesh walks up to Varaseel and slaps her across the face. "WAKE UP, VARASEEL! WEASELS!" Tesh bellows. Then, to herself she whispers, "Weasels? Really? That's the best you could do?"

Varaseel stares at Tesh, returning to herself for a moment.

"Weasels," Tesh says. "That's one of your deepest fears. YOU STORMING SPLINTER! LEAVE VARA ALONE! WEASELS!"

Then the Splinter was back.

 **Phoenix:** "All right, Samar, take my hand! We are going to get Cole!"

 **S4S:** "WEASELS!"

I turn back to the fight. Tesh is standing over Vara menacingly. Then Vara gives her a look even colder than Tesh's. I swing back on Vara's spren.

"What do we do?" I ask, desperate, "I don't want this to come to..."

Death. Everyone that I have ever gotten close to has died. Death takes them. And so that is the name that I swear by.

I look at the two spren. "What do I _do_..."

 **Sami:** Sam dismisses her Shardblade, drains the last of her spheres, and grabs Phoenix.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix and Samar vanish in a heartbeat and reappear next to Cole's prison cell. "Cole, stop lounging around and let's get going!"

Preston frowns in the shadows. "Phoenix, I hope we are making the right choice here..."

Phoenix replies, "I know. But I see no other option...perhaps there is yet a way to save her, despite what Cole does."

"Now Cole," Phoenix starts, "Before we let you out of there, are there any options you can think of that do NOT involve brutally murdering Varaseel?"

 **Cole:** Cole gives an evil grin. "Why in ****ation should I help you?"

 **Sami:** Sam gestures at Phoenix to wait. "I'm out of Stormlight and my extra daggers are gone. I'll be right back."

She leaps out the window, heading to her room.

 **Phoenix:** "Well, think it over. You're going to have to come up with a better answer than that. Looks like you'll have all night to think on it. One reason? Do you WANT this Splinter to keep going out of control like this, threatening Roshar?"

 **Cole:** "From what I can tell, you guys are fending for yourselves. Either way, if you fail or not, I will kill it."

 **Sami:** Sam returns with pouches full of spheres, as well as her extra daggers and a whole heap of other things.

She glares at Cole. "You try anything else, and I will beat our fellow Super Overpowered Surgefinder Agents to it, rip your head off, and throw it into the Purelake."

 **Cole:** "That would be a sight, wouldn't it? It's been at least twenty years since I've been decapitated."

 **Phoenix:** "I don't care if you kill the Splinter. What we need to do is ensure that Varaseel either is spared, or can be revived with only her revived. Killing her should be a last resort only!"

Phoenix looks at Samar. "I thought we were the Knights of the Cosmere?"

 **Cole:** Cole ignores what Phoenix says. "What I find most interesting about this exchange is that you believe that you are in a position of power. You are obviously a Feruchemist, and you have had a lot of time to store your attributes. Of course, that is obviously not enough."

Cole Pulls one of Phoenix's metalminds off his body. "I will go with you, but know that I could kill you in a blink If I so chose." Cole tosses the metalmind back to him. "Take me."

 **Phoenix:** "Samar, do you concur with this course of action? I see no other way."

 **Sami:** Sam hesitates, then jerks her head towards Cole. "You can take us both, right?"

 **Cole:** Phoenix nods, then grabs Cole and Sami's hands. Suddenly, they are back at the Purelake. Cole looks at Sami expectantly. "Got anything sharp?"

 **Sami:** Sam rolls her eyes. "Give me one reason why I should give you one of _my_ weapons. Besides, don't you already have a Shardblade?"

 **Cole:** "Shardblades are inconvenient for nailing people down, they disappear with a moment of distraction. She has crazy healing, so I have to incapacitate her."

 **Sami:** Sam sighs, but knows that Cole can't fight Vara without any ammo. Reluctantly, she unbelts the sword at her waist and tosses it to him with a couple of vials. "I'll be keeping an eye on you," she threatens, a warning glint in her eye.

 **Cole:** Cole downs the vials and feels his metal storages burst alight.

 **Serce:** _There's a reason that it's me,_ Varaseel wants to tell them. _Everyone knows that I'm...well...useless. I CAN'T fight this thing. Tesh couldn't. I'm still broken and...I can't get past it. I can't fight it._ _What? What are wee-zols? Wee souls?_ Varaseel thought, completely stumped.

"There aren't even weasels on Roshar! She has no idea what they are!" The Splinter laughs and pushes Tesh back with what still _seems_ like wind, but is not, and Tesh gets a strong ringing in her ears.

"I think...I don't know..." Flux grasped for words. "A lot of Varaseel rejects her memories and pains...I think if I can remind her of some...she will be more likely to take control. The one problem is if I get too close, the Splinter can turn me into a Shardblade and kill you with me..." Flux shivered.

"How can I help?" Mathis asks.

"Call her Vara...every time you address her. And try to pick up on things that bring the real her out...It'll drive her insane...but at least that Splinter will be gone...probably." Flux continues to buzz and stays next to Spark.

 **Cole:** Cole bursts toward Varaseel, burning bronze strongly so that he knows where she is at all times.

 **S4S:** "All right, Flux," I say. Knowing who you are is a good thing. But memories can be more painful than a sword. I know how that feels.

I turn and look at Vara. Cole is here? How? I notice Phoenix and Sami right behind him. Elsecalling. They all prepare to attack.

I turn back to Flux and Spark. My eyes are hard, yet no emotion shows. All of that is inside. I know what I must do.

"Flux, listen to me very carefully," I say coldly. "I want you to stay right next to me. No matter how close I get to Vara, _do not leave my side!_ "

"But -" Flux stammers.

"****ation it Flux! Do as I say!" I yell. I am shaking now. I slowly look to Spark.

"I know what I must do."

 _...Understanding...sadness...understanding…_

I smile at her. "Thanks, Spark."

 _...I won't leave you behind...Mathis…_

With that, a single tear falls from my face as I turn towards the battle. "VARA!" I scream.

 **Cole:** Cole feels the erratic pulse that follows the Splinter beating with the pulse of Lightweaving. He zeroes in on it and then picks up a rock and throws it, fast. He then holds his sword in his right hand and summons his Shardblade in his left. He stabs the Shardblade into the ground and quickly downs a vial of metals, waiting.

 **Tesh:** Tesh slowly rises out of the water, scanning for and counting the Knights. Then…

" _Cole,_ " Tesh says, menace filing her voice. "COLE!" She dives down, Shardblade held at the ready, just as Cole throws a rock at Varaseel!

 _A rock? Against an all-powerful being? Really?_

Then Tesh is on top of Cole, lashing out with her Shardblade.

She whips it left and right in quick succession at his legs, first severing the soul, the second severing the legs themselves.

Then she does the same with his arms. Both of them.

"I won't make the same mistake again," she growls.

With pewter-enhanced strength, Tesh throws Cole to the shore, and a faint _crack_ and a strangely loud _thud_ announce his arrival.

 **Sami:** Sam glares daggers at Tesh. "If you think you're gonna get points for that, you're wrong. What, you think that Phoenix and I went all that way to get Cole so that you can have the fun of hacking him up? That was the literally stupidest move I've ever seen."

 **Serce:** In a blur, Samar, Phoenix, and Cole stand in front of Vara. A rock hits her side and she just glares at Cole curiously as Tesh tackles him.

 _Your friends are_ weird, the Splinter told her.

Then Mathis starts running at her. "VARA!"

 _Don't call me THAT!_ she thinks, then pauses. _Out of all the things going on at the moment I'm angry because of my nickname?...Yes. I am._

The Splinter starts planning how it's going to "vanish" and distract Mathis when they both realize something familiar…

"FLUX!" She breaks through first.

 **S4S:** "Vara!" I yell outward into the lake. I see the others rush around her as she falls to the water. "Flux," I say, "Stay with me..."

Shaking, I dash into the fray. I breathe in a little Stormlight as I rush towards the pile where Vara is. Tesh had tackled her into the lake. Quickly, I push some of my Stormlight into Vara, practicing the other part of an Edgedancer.

Vara loses her friction, and I throw Tesh off her with a Push on her sword and other various metals. I then swing around as I grab Vara and tow her through the water away from the others with my steel speed. As she is frictionless, she flies through the water behind me. All the while, Flux is near me…

 **Serce:** _Your friends are_ really _weird,_ the Splinter says, irritated _._

"Vara. You have to be strong," Flux bobs next to Mathis.

 _I can't-_

"Yes, you can. You've been through more than people can guess. Basabav, your mother, Relleh -"

"Please -" She came through. _No more, Flux. I don't want to remember._

 **Sami:** Sam curses internally as Mathis suddenly tows Vara away. _Yeah, we make a_ great _team,_ she thinks sarcastically. _Points for teamwork and planning, everyone. Keep up the good work._

 **S4S:** I come to a stop far from the other group. I grab Vara and pull her out of the water, forcing her to look at me.

But what looks back isn't Vara. Something dark filled her eyes. Hotter than hatred, destruction envelops her.

"Is this who you are, Vara?" I say. Flux and Spark float next to me on either side. "Are you this cold killer that seeks destruction? Bent on killing those she trusted?" I lean in closer. "This isn't the friend I made, Vara. I've had too few of those, and all of them have been lost..."

I close my eyes. I am still shaking. "Never again, Vara... never again..."

 **Tesh:** Tesh falls towards Mathis, passing Cole on the way, whose limbs are starting to come back. Again.

She lands on a tree about ten feet from where Mathis and Varaseel stand. Mathis is looking deep into Vara's eyes, seeing past the Splinter's influence and into her soul.

Tesh lands in the water with a splash, faintly louder than she would have liked. Mathis, Varaseel, and the Splinter look at her.

"Vara, we will get the thing out of you. I know what it's like. You must fight it. But we. Will. Save. You. Keep running."

 **Cole:** Cole's limbs rapidly regenerate and he growls in anger. He picks up another rock, but this time taps tons of strength and speed. The rock is hurtled thousands of miles per hour, but misses Varaseel by ten feet. A huge crater forms st the impact point. Cole picks up another rock and prepares to throw.

 **Serce:** "I - I can't - Mathis - Tesh -" Varasevil moves back and forth, eyes changing rapidly.

"Vara, stay open..." the little spren whimpers. He moves a step forward and…

"Yes!" the Splinter exclaims, fully in control. A Shardblade with beautiful patterns appears in Varaseel's hands.

 **S4S:** "Vara..." I whisper. Her eyes keep changing. Am I getting through to her? I can't stop. I won't give up. Not if I can do something about it.

Flux disappears. A Shardblade forms in Vara's hand.

 **Tesh:** Tesh's Shardblade appears in her hand, and she steps up to Varaseel. "You. Will. Not. Have. Her."

Varaseel swings, and Tesh jumps away. Swing. Jump. Swing. Block. Swing. Block.

Swing.

Hit.

Tesh falls.

She hits the water with a splash. Her Shardblade vanishes. Ani does not reappear. But there is a faint smile across her face, as if she had just won a long battle.

All is quiet.

Then Varaseel awakens. The splinter is gone, chased out.

Because Tesh is gone.

Teshani Kholin is dead.

 **S4S:** A face with no emotion swings the sword. Vara doesn't strike, _it_ does. Quick and swift, it passes through Tesh. I run forward, expending all of my Stormlight to heal her. At first nothing. I do not leave her side.

A shaky breath escapes Tesh. I barely made it. She will live.

Then, through my back, through my spine, and out my front, a silver blade appears.

Pain. I gasp a sudden breath. Stormlight and strength leave me in a burst. My shaking stops. My breath shallows. I spin as I fall into the water, seeing Vara's eyes as she tightly grips her Blade.

"I didn't give up," I whisper to her, "Don't. You. Do. The. Same."

I let go of life and fall into the lake. The last thing I see us a small and silver orb. As I fall beneath the water, a smile goes across my face.

 _...I never left you…_

 _I know…_

 **Phoenix:** "Oh Tesh, I'm sorry, I was too late...Mathis!" Phoenix runs to Mathis, pushing a golden medallion against his chest. "Quick! Use this! It has unkeyed health!"

 **S4S:** _Mathis lays still submerged beneath the Purelake. A final grave. No blood is spilt on either side. On this, an eternal smile is imprinted across his face. He has fulfilled his task._

 _Mathis is gone…_

 **Tesh:** Tesh takes a shuddering gasp of air, stands up, and promptly falls over. Both Mathis and Varaseel float in the water. Phoenix runs up to Mathis. "Quick! Use this! It has unkeyed health!"

"He...he's dead, Phoenix," Tesh says.

Her plan had succeeded.

Yet failed.

Mathis was not supposed to die. No one was. They should have all lived.

 **Phoenix:** "Friends, let's move out to a safer place. There is still a plague here, you know. We can take Mathis' body with us and give him a proper burial at Urithiru."

 **Tesh:** Tesh stares at the place where Mathis' body had gone down. Then she remembers Varaseel. She runs over, falling several times in her haste to reach her friend. Varaseel is unconscious. But whole.

Tesh carries her out of the water, gently. Then she returns for Mathis' body. Phoenix assists in carrying him out of the water, and they lay him on the beach, a few feet from Varaseel.

A smile is frozen over his face. He has found peace.

Suddenly, an idea springs to Tesh's mind.

"Phoenix, I'm going to the Cognitive Realm. I must say goodbye. He will linger longer than most." Tesh vanishes and appears in the Cognitive Realm.

And Mathis is standing in front of her, even though he is starting to vanish.

"Goodbye, Mathis," Tesh says, stepping forward, stretching her hand in front of her.

"Goodbye, Tesh," Mathis replies, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Thank you for everything Mathis. You have saved my life twice now. Thank you."

He nods once. Then vanishes.

And Tesh returns.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix turns around as Tesh disappears and notices Cole standing behind them. "Hey Cole, good to see you back in one piece!"

Phoenix looks around. "Hey, where did Sami go? I swear she was just here..."

 **S4S:** Tesh says goodbye. I say goodbye. Tesh leaves. I leave.

Something keeps me from moving on, though. I have to know. Was it really _her_?

I look around. I don't have a body, yet my mind perceives me with the action of searching.

Then, before my eyes, she appears. A young woman, standing in front of me. Silver dress. Silver body. Rachel. Not Spark. Rachel. _Standing_ in front of me. I thought, but I didn't want to believe.

"Mathis," she says.

"Rachel," I say, falling to my knees. Tears come to my eyes. "H-how?"

She comes to kneel next to me. "I told you I would never leave you."

I bow my head to the ground. Tears flow like the rains in a highstorm.

Rachel. The one person who asked me to hold on. During my childhood, my beatings and torture, she was the one light in my darkness. She healed my wounds, both physical and mental. She comforted me when no one else would. She saved me.

And she was paralyzed from the waist down.

Tevidian's niece was crippled in his eyes. She could not walk since birth. Yet Tevidian didn't dare lay a hand on her. Reputation once again. Instead, I took the beatings for her. I would do it all over again. When I was exiled, I never saw her again. I never was able to say goodbye. I returned to the house years later and never knew her fate.

That is truly my biggest regret I took to my grave. Years I had gone through life with that hope that she would be all right. She had to be all right. And she had found the one place where no body could hold her back. This Cognitive Realm.

"But...how?" I ask, shaking.

She leans down closer. Her touch brings more tears. "I gave you the power to heal others. You began to see others as you once saw me. As a friend. And would do anything to save them. Even give up your life for them." She lifts my head to look at her. I never thought I would see that face again.

"You did it, Mathis. I never left your side. I saw you through day and night, physical and mental. You were strong. You kept running." Rachael then embraces me. "You. Kept. Running."

No one had ever done that but her. No one had ever gotten as close to me as her. That memory was stored away. After a cold night in the mists, where I was ready to end it all, she was there with an embrace.

I was her legs. Where she couldn't walk, I ran for her.

All for her.

I continue to cry as Rachel stays by my side.

Tesh looks at Mathis' body, the smile still across his face. But it now contradicts the rest of him. Although it's a warm smile, the rest of him is cold with no life.

It was so sudden, yet it was done. He was gone now. Nothing would change that. Tesh starts to turn away before noticing something. Inside one of his gauntlets at his side is an envelope. She grabs it and slowly opens it. Although the words are smudged, they are legible:

 _Friends,_

 _I was born and raised with darkness all around me. I haven't known what it feels like to do good in the world. Until now._

 _You have shown me that there is more in life than simply living. I will always remember that, even in the Beyond. Because while I did not live to the fullest during my life, the ending is where it counts._

 _Do not remember me. But you can remember what I did. I kept running. And I still am._

 _If you feel a swift breeze rushing by, just know it's me moving faster than ever before. I am free, because of you all._

 _Thank you, friends…_

 _Your most humble of servants,_

 _Mathis - Knight of the Wind_

 **Tesh:** Tesh holds the letter before her in shaking hands. A single tear drips onto the paper.

Tesh clutches the letter to her chest. The tears come faster now. She doesn't know why.

 _If you feel a swift breeze rushing by, just know it's me moving faster than ever before. I am free, because of you all._

Tesh kneels like that for what seems like forever.

Then, finally, she stands up and tucks the letter into her pocket.

A warm breeze ruffles her hair.

And she smiles.

Cole, Samar, and Phoenix stand a short distance away, standing around Varaseel. But Phoenix has Cole in a headlock.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix finishes fastening a gold medallion around Cole's neck. "There. That should do it." After Mathis's death, he learned his lesson. Even if it seemed unnecessary, he wouldn't lose another ally. "Something doesn't feel right here. We should all be cautious. With Sam's disappearance, I have a bad feeling about all of this."

 **S4S:** Spark floats in the corner of the room, hiding in the shadows as she once did with Mathis. It is the same room that he had joined this group of friends. But now she had promised to watch out for them…

...For him…

 **Serce:** Varaseel groans as she tries to open her eyes. Slowly, she blinks and picks out individual things. A lot of people are looking at her, but she can't tell why. Then it clicks. _Surgefinders, Phoenix, Samar, Cole, Tesh, Mathis, Splinter, Shardblade._

Vara whips her head to where Tesh stands over...Mathis.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." she trembles, curling up into a ball. "Mathis...Mathis...I can't - I'm so sorry -" Varaseel sobs, burying her face into her knees.

 **Tesh:** Tesh jumps up at the sound of Varaseel's sobs and hurries over to her. She kneels down and wraps her arms around her friend.

They sit like that for what seems like forever.

"He kept running," Tesh whispers, "Til he could run no farther. That's what matters. He saved us all." Another tear trickles down Tesh's cheek and drips to the ground.

"His life may have been short, but he prolonged the life of others. And he wanted to go. So he did."

The last battle was yet to come, but they would all meet it head on.

And together.

 **S4S:** Spark slowly forms into existence in front of the two crying women. They were Mathis' friends, and she would watch out for them. She promised.

Because they remembered him, she could now manifest herself for these two. So she just sat there in front of them, trying to comfort their loss.

 _...Understanding...comfort...understanding…_

 **Sami:** Samar appears, giving no explanation for her disappearance. She sees Mathis's body and a stricken look passes over her face. She has seen the death of too many friends for tears; instead she grips her knife harder and bows her head softly.

 _I_ am _truly sorry, Mathis. For everything._

 **Tesh:** Tesh finally looks up and sees a ball of light, a spren of some kind. Somehow, it melts the sorrowful atmosphere away a little. Tesh can tell that Varaseel could feel it too, as she is no longer shaking as violently.

Rain starts lightly falling, dampening their wet clothing even further.

Tesh stands up and makes her way to a large rock, which was tilted on its side against a cliff and made a sort of shelter.

She gathers together all the sticks under the rock, and piles them up against the cliff between the two openings. Water drips down occasionally, but other than that, it was a fairly decent shelter. Tesh takes out a small flint and steel and lights a fire.

The rain continues to fall.

She quietly asks Phoenix to help her bring Mathis's body in.

Tesh tells Phoenix and Samar to take Cole under the rock. They do so.

She walks quietly over to Varaseel, and gently puts a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. I have a fire started," she says. Varaseel says nothing, so Tesh pulls her up and half carries her to the fire.

The spren is still following her. She smiles at it.

Tesh lays Varaseel down next to the fire and sits beside her. No one says a word. Ani sits on her shoulder, and the spren hovers in the air near where the rock lay against the cliff.

Everyone stared at the fire, even Cole. Varaseel was still curled up, but she had turned to face the orange flames.

Soon, the rain let out, but darkness had fallen during the rain.

"Well," Tesh says suddenly. Her voice was tired, but determined. "Since we are all mostly together, we need to plan. And discuss what we are going to do with Cole."

 **Phoenix:** "What is there to discuss? Cole _tried_ to help us. Maybe he deserved being dismembered, I don't know. What I do know is that if he had been able to aid us against the splinter, Mathis might still be here with us..." Phoenix said softly.

 **S4S:** Spark floats among the group. She stays closer to Vara, as she still seems unsettled by the endeavor.

 _...Comfort...comfort...comfort…_

 **Tesh:** Tesh sighs and stands up. "I'm leaving. For good. I am not fit to lead this group, I am a hindrance, have absolutely no idea what we are to do next, and am no use to anyone whatsoever. The fate of the Cosmere rests on your shoulders." Tesh nods her head once, swiftly and firmly, then walks out, swinging her pack over her back as she walks out.

 **Sami:** Sam jumps to her feet and grips Tesh's arm. "No," She growls. "You are _not_ going to abandon us right in the middle of this. You are going to stay right here and see this through with the rest of us."

 **Tesh:** Tesh rips her arm away from Samar's grasp and starts backing out. "I am going to see this through, just not with you. You know my reasoning."

Tesh turns and runs, aided by both pewter and Stormlight. Away. She doesn't know where she runs to, she just knows that she needs to go away. Far away.

She has no purpose anymore. She is a fake, a fraud. She is no Knight of the Cosmere.

Suddenly Tesh stops and thinks. There were now only two places she could go, now, and live a life.

One: Urithiru, and live her life out as Teshani Kholin, the daughter of Highprince Dalinar Kholin.

Two: Scadrial, and continue her search for Mahshi.

Either way, she would be leaving a part of her behind. But if she went to Scadrial, she might find another part that was lost years ago.

Tesh stands up and starts to make her way to Urithiru, to pack a few more necessities and say goodbyes, and to explain that she will come back occasionally, as they are her family.

Or the closest she ever had.

 **Sami:** "Actually, I don't know your reasoning. Unless you're expecting the Splinter to follow you to Scadrial." Sam narrows her eyes. "What exactly are you going to see through?"

 **S4S:** Spark dashes from Vara and floats in front of Tesh, as if to block her from going any further. _...Defiance...defiance...defiance…_

 **Sami:** Sam gave a forced laugh. "So - I guess that's that then." Standing up, she tossed a wrapped bundle at Cole. He caught it without surprise and shook it out to reveal his spare metalminds. Then she turned and her knife thudded into the ground close beside Vara, making her cry out.

"I did that to let you know that I could have killed you if I wanted to. I'm going easy on you, because I think you've been through enough today," she said, bending down. "Don't make me regret it." Then she knocked Vara out while Cole dealt with Phoenix.

 **Cole:** Cole launches at Phoenix. He taps one hand on his shoulder and then all of his Stormlight reserves disappear. Then he sits on Phoenix, tapping weight so he can't move.

Cole waves an arm at Sam, urging her over.

 **Phoenix:** Phoenix quickly converts some of his reserve Breath into Stormlight and Elsecalls himself away. The knife thuds against the ground. Phoenix is no longer there.

 **Sami:** Suddenly a single thread of darkness snaked through the pale blue of Sam's eyes, and she started to shake slightly. Something moved out of the corner of her eye and in horror, she realized that it was her own hand.

A harsh voice laughed in her head. _What a true weakling you are, Sam._

 _NO! GET OUT OF MY STORMING HEAD!_

She gritted her teeth and stilled her hands, steeling her mind as best as she could. This was not happening. It would not control her.

Her hands began to move again.

 _Storm it, NO! I'm in control of my own storming body!_

The voice laughed again. _What a truly pathetic fight you put up_ , it said, sounding amused. _Don't you even want to control your own life? Or shall I do it for you?_

Suddenly an overwhelming surge overtakes her, and just like that, somehow the Splinter is in complete control. Her eyes turn a glossy black.

Sam draws herself up with a completely different look on her face. Then in a blur, she moves over to Varaseel's form, ready to stab her to death.

"COLE!" she manages to choke out in warning. She knew it was about to happen. She had anticipated it for many years, and now she was about to find out just what it felt like.

Cole's blade thrust itself through her heart, and Sam collapsed to the ground.

 **Cole:** Cole hears his name called by Sam. He dashes at her, sword in hand. Cole readied his blade, and the Splinter suddenly realized what was about to happen. It panicked and tried to escape from Sam's body, but its one flaw was revealed. It had never tried to deal with someone who wanted it to _stay in their body_.

He drew back the blade and plunged it into Sam's heart in one smooth motion.

Her eyes turned lifeless and she fell backward.

Then the constant pulsing of the Splinter stopped. It was gone, forever.

Cole looked at Sam's body. Blood pooled around her feet. He took a second to pray to the God Beyond on Sam's behalf. He pulled his sword out of her stomach.

Her flesh began to reknit until the hole in her chest was no longer visible. A gasp burst out of her throat.

"Is it gone?" Sam asks.

Cole smiles with true happiness. "Yeah, it's gone," Cole replies as he offers a hand to lift Sami to her feet.

 _It's finally gone._

 **Sami:** Sam rejected Cole's hand and got up herself. She felt the rest of her injuries fade away and allowed herself a small, grim satisfaction. They had done it. It was gone.

Looking back down at Varaseel's unconscious form, she felt a twinge of regret. She had nothing against Varaseel - she only had been in the wrong place. Phoenix was gone. And Mathis... _I'm sorry - not for what I did, but that this had to happen._

Glancing away, she launched herself into the air after Cole. Tesh would come hunting her. She fully expected that - but she would handle that. She had been betrayed so many times, and it was finally her turn. Her way of striking back on those who had turned their back on her. And she would hunt them all down, one by one and make them suffer exactly the same way they had made her suffer.

 **Tesh:** A faint tremor runs through the ground, the green leaves on the trees withdrawing, the grass doing the same.

Tesh sighs and sits down on the ground with a thump. They did it, they defeated the Splinter. But they had also proven Tesh's point. She wasn't needed.

Tesh sat there for a long time, thinking. What was she to do?

"I must go back to Urithiru and prepare to leave, to find Mahshi. I must..." she whispers, trailing off into silence.

"Tesh, if that is what you must do, so be it. I will be back soon," Ani says, flitting around Tesh's head, then zooming off into the trees.

 **S4S:** Spark slowly moved down, right in front of Tesh.

…

She had promised Mathis. She would watch out for them. For him.

…

But she could not control them. She would be no better than the Splinter.

…

Slowly, Spark moved aside. She would not interfere. Only Mathis allowed her to influence his actions.

 _...Sadness...confusion...sadness…_

 **Later**

The sun slowly rises above the Purelake. The warm water becomes a mirror in the early light. No breeze distorts the water. Not even the aquatic life breaks its perfect surface. Only crystal light bounces off the white sand underneath.

Yet not is all as it seems.

A grave was set here. A man died here. No blood stains these waters. He left no mark on this world. He was one who lived in shadows. A keeper of silence. Few remembered him, fewer trusted him. The fewest knew him as a friend. His own views on life, the same as a reflection in the Purelake. He trusted few in life. He called few friends in life. A dual-sided sword.

Just above the place where the final act in his life occurred, a spren floats. It is in the shape of a shining orb, a cool steel color. Small curls of energy aura off of the spren.

This new spren floats above the water. The lake remains clear, even as the sun continued to slowly rise. First there is nothing. Then, a reflection is placed in the water before the spren. A man, with slim yet sturdy build, dark black hair cropped forward, and a fashionable amount of stubble across his jaw, stands looking out the underside of the water. No colorless cloak falls around him, but a emerald green suit like that of a Highlord on Scadrial. No scars cover his body; he stands tall and imposing. A confident smile crosses the man's face.

The reflection is that of a man who could have been, yet never was. Destiny took its course. Instead of a man with power, he became a powerful man. He earned his right to this power. Through ****nation he traveled. Where he could not walk, he ran. Where he could not crawl, he ran. Where he could not run, he still ran. That made the man what he was.

The water distorts momentarily as another spren approaches. Spark jumps and dances around the new spren joyfully. She then takes off across the Purelake, flashing back and forth in a playful pattern.

The steel spren looks back down at the water. The reflection has changed back to that of a hardened man with colorless cloak. The same features, yet with hidden scars. There is a weight behind the man that he refuses to give up.

But this man still smiled.

He stands there with a slight grin across his face, staring directly back at the spren. With a final nod, it takes a step backward, before turning away from the water and disappearing one last time, not looking back.

The new spren smiles inwardly before chasing off Spark. As it moves, a slight breeze, not there before, follows the exact motions of the steel-colored spren as it chases Spark.

 _...Happiness…_

The two spren chase each other for some time. Two friends reunited. In life they were separated. Destruction and hatred of others broke the two apart. Now, in a world of peace, they had an eternity to make up for their lost time.

 **Tesh:** Tesh stares at the dark sky; stars are beginning to appear, one of the moons floating above her head.

The loss, pain, and horror that she had faced in the past weeks was beyond words. She felt lost, broken, like she was simply floating around in an infinite vastness.

Then she remembered the feeling of the Splinter entering her, the slight resistance as her spear sunk into Samar's body, the highstorm, Mathis, saving her, him and Varaseel understanding when she told her story.

The last battle.

The thrill of battle, getting stabbed by the Shardblade, her short encounter with Sazin in the Cognitive Realm, Mathis again saving her life.

And Mathis falling.

The splash as his body hit the water.

And horror.

Looking down, seeing his body, and a feeling of unquenchable horror. Horror, at seeing the lifeless form of the first Surgefinder, a friend, the one who had saved her life.

And here she sat, on a log, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a forest, wallowing in her own misery.

His life would _not_ end there, at that moment, with that splash. He would live on forever, in the hearts of his friends.

And Tesh would not give up on her life as Mathis had.

She would never stop living.

 **Ene's Note:**

 **AND THAT'S RP1! I hope you enjoyed it, and I also hope you'll enjoy RP2, which I'll start posting. There's also a Wiki that is currently being filled in called Knights of the Cosmere Wiki. HAVE FUN READING!**


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